The Blood Nexus
by Mistress Taru
Summary: At the Sun & Moon Academy, Aerrow gets chosen as a feeder for the vampire class president, the Dark Ace. DA/A yaoi, blood, violence, vampires. Y'know, the good stuff. Disclaimers inside
1. 1: Feeder Program

The Blood Nexus

Summary: At the Sun & Moon Academy, Aerrow gets chosen as a feeder for the vampire class president, the Dark Ace. DA/A yaoi, blood, violence, vampires. Y'know, the good stuff.

Pairing: Dark Ace/Aerrow, some Finn/Stork

Warnings: Vampires, explicit yaoi, blood, violence, language

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks is owned by NerdCorps, Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino. Some of these ideas, like the feeder thing, are from user LN-manga at .

Chapter 1: Feeder Program

^V^

It was my first week at the Sun & Moon Academy, and I gotta say, I was really happy, here. My teachers are great, the fight club is fun, and I got my best friends by my side.

Even the vampires seem nice.

I've heard all the rumors already, and I've only been here for three days. All the basics, too, like "The vampires are gonna kill us while we sleep" or "We have mixers so they can smell our fear". The headmaster of this school made things very clear on our first day: He wants vampires and humans to live together in peace, and that's why he started this school.

I couldn't agree more with the headmaster. I wouldn't have come to this school if I was afraid. Besides, we don't even take classes together. The humans take day classes, and vampires take night classes. We even have separate dorms. There was nothing to worry about.

But… I never took falling in love into the equation.

^V^

"The Feeder Program?" Finn asked, reading the paper on the bulletin board. "What's that?"

"Well, Finn, maybe if you were paying attention during the orientation instead of fooling around with Stork, you would know." Piper pointed a nagging finger at our dumb-blonde friend.

"Well, maybe if YOU were fooling around with Stork, you'll understand why I wasn't paying attention!" Finn got her back. Stork sighed, his face turning pink.

"It's for the rich vampires, Finn, so they don't have to go out and feed." Junko explained. "They pick whoever's blood they like best, and that person becomes their feeder."

"Do we have to do that?" Stork asked. "Rumors say that the feeders don't last very long. Shrivel up like raisins. Or those blood-sucking fiends could kill us, anyway."

"I don't think the rumors are true, Stork." I said, patting his shoulder. "But, yeah, we all have to put our blood in. Only a few students get chosen, though. You might be lucky."

"I hope so. I don't taste good." Stork whispered. I rolled my eyes.

"Aw, I think you taste great, buddy." Finn nuzzled his boyfriend's cheek. "I don't know about your blood, though. Besides, I'll never let those vampires eat you!" He pounded his chest heroically. "Ow."

"Oh, come on, guys." I tried to reason with them. "The vampires here don't do stuff like that. If they did, they'd be kicked out."

"Aerrow's right." Piper said, agreeing with me, as she usually did. "They're just rumors. This school is perfectly safe."

The bell was about to ring, so we started for class. I took one last look at the news-board.

_Blood due tomorrow._

^V^

The last bell finally rang, and we all went straight to the nurse to get our blood samples for the Feeders program. After that, we had to drop it off in front of the Moon dorm, where the vampires lived. The vice-president of the class, Ravess, was collecting the blood samples.

"Hm… I can already tell that these are no good." Ravess snarled. "Maybe I should just throw them out." Well, she was obviously a human-hater.

"Excuse me?" Piper stepped up. She could be very nice, but when she or any of us get insulted (without her consent) she gets bitchy.

"You heard me, filthy human." Ravess barked back, her lips curling menacingly. "Go back to your mediocre dorms where you belong."

"Augh! How dare you!" Piper screamed.

Piper continued to argue with the vice-president, but I didn't feel like stopping her this time. I simply turned my attention to the dorm buildings. They were really nice, I admit. Some of the vampires that come here are apparently quite wealthy, so they're able to afford such dorms. They even put some money in to spruce up the Sun dorms, but theirs are still nicer.

And then, I saw a figure in the window. I squinted a little so I could see him better. He was a very tall, handsome vampire, with thick, black hair and sideburns. He was leaning on the frame casually, with his arms crossed over his broad chest. His face was chiseled. And his eyes… his eyes were a beautiful, dark shade of red. Almost like blood. On top of all that, he looked so… familiar.

And he was staring right at me, but I didn't look away. I felt trapped… hypnotized…

"Aerrow!" I heard a voice call.

"Huh?" I finally broke out of the trance, and turned towards the voice. It was Junko's.

"You okay, buddy?" He asked, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Uh yeah, I'm fine." I said, looking back up at the window. But he was gone, the drapes inside that window flowing steadily.

"Let's go guys, before the queens kill each other." Finn gestured towards Piper and Ravess.

"Come on, Piper." I said to her, taking her arm.

"Yeah, back to our 'mediocre' dorms." She snarled towards Ravess. The vampire girl just stuck up her nose and turned away.

As we walked home, I couldn't help but wonder who that vampire was. Why was he so familiar to me? Did he know me?

Little did I know, I would find out the answers soon enough.

^V^


	2. 2: A Winner?

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 2: A Winner?

^V^

"Radarr, we're home!" I called to my big-eared buddy. He was a sky monkey who has been my best friend since I was little. Though he can't speak our language, he can still understand what we say. The little guy comes to class with us sometimes, but he doesn't need to. Because of our late day, he decided to stay home. Radarr ran up to me and jumped in my arms, making a happy sound. I scratched his little head, and he purred happily.

"Oh, I hope Ravess really does throw away my blood sample." Stork said nervously, clutching Finn's sleeve with one hand and biting the nails on the other.

"Oh, come on, Stork." I said, putting Radarr down on my bed. "There's like, two-hundred and fifty students in the day class, and only five vampires can use this program. There's a big chance you won't get picked."

"Two-hundred and thirty-nine students." Stork corrected me. "I still don't like the odds."

"There's nothing to worry about, Stork." Piper told him. "The rumors aren't true about the program."

"What rumors?" Junko asked.

"Oh, you know, the vampires killing the humans, our bodies shriveling up after a year… those rumors." Piper explained.

"Not helping." Finn said, a frightened Stork clutching him so tight he couldn't breathe.

"Look, let's just all get some sleep, okay?" I chimed in. "Tomorrow's the announcement day."

"Okay. Good night, boys." Piper said before closing the door and heading to her own dorm-room. I turned to the guys, their faces struck with fear.

"Don't worry, guys." I said, undressing for bed. "The odds that any of us will be picked is very low. And if we do, we'll still be fine. Okay?"

^V^

The next day – well, night – all the day class students were all bunched up in a crowd in front of the school. The announcer would stand on the fountain and assign the students to the vampire. The crowd displayed mixed feelings, saying things like, "Oooh, did you see the president, he's so HOT!" or "Omigod, I'm so scared, they're gonna drink my blooood!" My friends were definitely the latter of the two feelings.

"I thought I told you guys a million times today not to be nervous!" I said, checking my watch. They were fifteen minutes late. "Although I'm getting impatient."

"Yeah, me too." Piper said. "I have a paper due tomorrow, and I gotta get to the library." Suddenly, the girls started squealing and the boys hooted, and the crowd started moving as close to the fountain as they could.

"Hey, they're coming!" Junko said, looking out for us. "Everyone really seems to like them."

"Yeah, cuz they're rich and beautiful." Piper said, seeing Ravess in the small group of vampires. "Definitely not for their personalities."

I rolled my eyes and stood on my tip-toes so I could see the arriving vampires. She was right; they were very beautiful, especially… I gasped, recognizing the vampire I saw in the window yesterday.

"Hey," I turned to my friends. "Does anyone know who that one is?" I pointed to him.

"Are you kidding?" I heard someone behind me say. I turned to see Starling, one of Piper's roommates. She was a third-year, and she was also in fight club with us. "That's the night-class president, The Dark Ace."

"The Dark Ace?" I repeated.

"Yes, that is what he's called." She said. "He's the most popular student in the school, a close friend with the head-master, and a pure-blood to top it off. Everyone is under his influence, and no one dares mess with him."

"Wow." We all said. I looked at him again, watching him smile at his adoring fans and sign his name on their notebooks. "He's a celebrity." I said. "Do you know anything else about him?" I said to Starling.

"No, he's actually quite private, as most of the vampires are." Starling said. "That's why he gets so much attention when he does come out."

"Okay, okay, people, settle down." A nerdy day class officer shouted. "I will now announce who will be the feeders for these five vampires." Ravess gave him a sheet of paper. "Okay, the student assigned to Carver is…"

"Please don't pick me." Stork mumbled. Piper shushed him. I wasn't really paying attention to the whole thing. I was too busy staring at the Dark Ace. He was hypnotizing me with his beauty, and he wasn't even looking me in the eye to do it. And also, his familiarity was striking me, too. I really did want to be picked by him, just so I could get the chance to ask him if he knew me. "Okay, he's on the last one, the Dark Ace." Piper said, taking my shoulder.

"And the feeder for night class president, the Dark Ace…" He let the crowd cheer. "… Is… Aerrow, of the first-year class."

I couldn't believe it. I got picked… to be his feeder? I heard his fans groan in disappointment.

"The odds are against us, eh?" Finn asked sarcastically, holding a relieved Stork in his arms.

"Wow, Aerrow, how about that." Piper said, staring at the strange expression I'm sure I had on my face. I didn't know how I should feel: Excited, Scared, Nervous… Happy?

I guess I should be more careful about what I wish for.

"You will all meet with the vampires at their dorms tomorrow night. No exceptions." The officer said before clearing a path for the vampires. As they all walked back home, I swore I saw the Dark Ace shoot a look at me, even though I was disguised in the crowd.

^V^


	3. 3: Encounter

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 3: Encounter

^V^

The next day, I got nothing but stares. Jealous stares, worried stares, and even some flirty stares. Honestly, the stares were scarier than the upcoming encounter with my assigned vampire, the Dark Ace.

I decided to keep my ears open for his name used in his fans' conversations today, and I asked my friends to listen in whenever they could, too. We met at lunchtime to discuss what we heard.

"Get this, guys." Finn whispered. "I heard that he's royalty from a distant terra. A prince!"

"I heard that he can be a violent killer, but only to those who deserve it. Otherwise, he's a kind and gentle guy." Piper said.

"I heard that because of his pureblooded-ness, he has great self-control." Junko said, his mouth full from eating his sandwich.

"What did you hear, Aerrow?" Piper asked me, while I was still absorbing all these rumors into my brain. "Anything good?"

"Uh, well…" I sighed, shaking my head. "All I heard was fan-girl nonsense. Nothing important."

"Well…" Finn took a bite of his sandwich. "It sounds like he's just some stuck-up, pretty-boy prince from far away."

"You can relate." Piper smirked at him.

"Hmph! I wish I was that rich!" Finn retorted, bits of bread flying out of his mouth. Piper scrunched her face in disgust.

"Look, everyone, none of that matters." I said calmly. "If what Junko says is true, then that's all that counts for my sake. I'll just go, give blood, and leave."

"Yeah, well, good luck, buddy." Junko said, patting me on the shoulder.

Yeah, luck. Hopefully, I wouldn't need so much of that.

^V^

That night, I stood at the Moon Dorm's entrance. The door was very tall and had stained-glass windows. It was like the entrance to an old cathedral. I knocked on the door, wanting to be polite and not barge in. Soon after the door creaked open, and a tall, skinny vampire stood there in the doorway.

"Hi, I'm, uh… here for the Dark Ace." I told him.

"Yes. Follow me." He said. He had a strange voice, like he didn't talk very much, and he was dressed formal for no particular reason. He must've been like a servant for the other vampires, or something.

He let me step through the door and into the hall. The place was incredible, nearly built for a king. Although it was kind of creepy for my tastes; ancient architecture and gargoyle statues surrounded the area. There were some other vampires around, probably hanging out before their classes started.

When the door shut, they all turned to look at me. They looked at me in shock and disgust, and then turned around to their friends and whispered to each other, but I couldn't hear them. What was their problem with me?

"This way." The servant vampire said, starting for the big staircase. I followed quickly behind him as we climbed the stairs and went through several, dark hallways.

"Um, so…" I mumbled, trying to start a conversation with this guy. "Is the Dark Ace… nice?" All the servant did was turn his head to give me an unemotional look. I got the hint and didn't say anything else, until we arrived at the end of the hall. "This is his room?" I asked, eyeing the door.

"Yes." The vampire answered. "You may enter." He turned and started walking down the hall.

"Thank you!" I called to him. I shrugged off his weird behavior, and then turned to the door. He said I could go right in, so I took the knob and turned it carefully. _Just go, give blood, leave._ I repeated in my head. I pushed the door open carefully and stuck my head in. "Hello? President Dark Ace?" I called, not really knowing how formal I should be with this guy.

"Please, come in." I heard a deep voice tell me. I obeyed, slowly walking inside and closing the door. The dorm was incredible. There was a velvet carpet under my sneakers, and sleek, red wallpaper around the walls. The furniture was old-fashioned, like Victorian-style. There was no bed in the room, so I assumed his dorm was more like an apartment, or rather for him, a penthouse. I didn't see the Dark Ace anywhere in the room, either.

"I'm Aerrow, your… um… feeder, sir." I said, looking around for him.

"Yes, I've been expecting you, Aerrow." I saw him stand up from a chair that was facing the windows. He turned his head and looked me dead in the eyes. For the first time that night, I felt weak and nervous. "I am the Dark Ace." He bowed his head, and I bowed back, showing my respect. He was taller than I thought, and much more handsome up close. He was wearing his red and green night class uniform. I felt a little underdressed, only wearing my crappy street clothes and sneakers. As I was gawking at him, I didn't realize he was moving closer to me. I also didn't realize that I was backed up against the door like a scared rabbit. "Is something wrong?" The Dark Ace asked. My eyes shot back up to meet his.

"Uh, n-no! Not at all, Mr. President!" I said a little too loudly.

"Good." The dark-haired man said. "And please, you don't have to call me that. The Dark Ace will do." Before I knew it, he stood over me proudly, drowning me in his presence. I felt the blood rush to my head.

"Um, Dark Ace…" I mumbled, finding it difficult to speak. "Do… Do I know you… because, you seem familiar, and…" I stopped, feeling his finger close my jaw and lift my head up.

"Hm…" He said, studying my face carefully. I averted my eyes from him, feeling my blush get deeper. "I'm afraid I haven't seen you before, Aerrow."

"Oh… okay." I responded. I didn't know whether I should be disappointed or not. But, I decided to put this away. After all, he would know if he saw me before, so I guessed me must just _look_ like someone I've known.

After I was done thinking, I noticed that he had his hand moved from my chin to the back of my neck. He moved his face to my neck, sniffing. "Mmm… your blood smells good." He used his free hand and took mine, gently holding it. "Are you afraid?" He whispered.

"No… no, I'm not." I answered, trying to group every bit of confidence I had. He brought his head up to face me.

"Alright, then." Was all he said. He turned my hand over so the palm was facing up, and brought it up to our nearly touching faces. He used his sharp nail to lightly prick my finger. I hissed at the sudden pain, watching a tiny drop of blood ooze out of the cut. The Dark Ace used his tongue to carefully lick the blood away, keeping his eyes fixed on mine. I couldn't help but let out a little squeak; I didn't know if I was scared or… dare I say it… aroused. Maybe both. Maybe more of the scared part.

Dark Ace grinned, letting go of my hand and taking my shoulder. He gently pushed my head to the side, threading his fingers through my hair and leaning his head closer to my exposed neck. I knew what was coming.

"Ah!" I yelped, tensing up completely. My hands clawed at the door behind me, and I squeezed my eyes shut. I could feel the blood in my body rushing at a hundred miles per minute…

All before he even opened his mouth to bite me. His lips were barely touching my skin, and I was already feeling the pain before it even happened. I felt him freeze up to, and then I heard him sigh, and he pulled away from me slowly, taking a few steps back.

"What is it?" I asked, relaxing a bit and opening my eyes. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, not at all." He said politely. "I don't like my feeders to be scared." He went to stand by the chair he was sitting in. "That's why I don't hunt, after all."

"…I'm sorry." I said, pushing myself off the wall. "I… I just never did this before, and…"

"It's alright. I can wait." He said to me, smiling.

"Are you sure?" I asked. I knew that vampires here took blood tablets instead of feeding off of humans everyday, but their effect doesn't last forever, maybe only a few weeks.

"I'm sure." The Dark Ace sat in the chair again. "You may come back tomorrow evening."

"Alright." I said simply. "So… I can leave now?"

"Yes, you may."

"Alright." I said again, trying to find the door handle behind me. "I'm sorry again!" He did not say anything in return. I found the handle and carefully slipped out of the room, my breathing still ragged.

What has that vampire done to me?

^V^


	4. 4: Friend

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 4: Friend

^V^

My friends (including Piper) stared at me as I trudged through the door. I guess they were anticipating my return so they could ask me all about what happened. Or maybe they were just worried.

"How'd it go?"

"What's it feel like?"

"Did you talk to him?"

"Can I see the scars?"

Or… maybe not.

"Okay guys, wait." I said, sitting at the desk, getting comfortable first. Radarr jumped up on the desk and sat next to me. "I barely spoke to him, and he didn't bite me at all."

"Why not?" Junko asked.

"Because… I was scared." I mumbled reluctantly. There was silence for a few moments before Finn burst out laughing.

"Aw, was wittle Aewow scawred?" He said between laughter.

"Finn, shut up!" Piper yelled at him, yanking his ear. "If it was you, you would have peed your pants, like you did two Halloweens ago!"

"Hey, you said you'd never tell anyone!" Finn pushed Piper's hand away and gritted his teeth. Stork was giggling behind them.

"Anyway…" Piper sighed. "It's strange that you being scared stopped him from biting you, isn't it?"

"He said he doesn't like it when his feeders are scared." I explained. "That's why he doesn't hunt."

"That is weird." Stork said. "Vampires don't just feed on blood; they feed on the victim's fear, as well."

"Well, maybe he's just a different kind of vampire, that's all." I shrugged my shoulders. "Besides, he asked me to come over tomorrow."

"Why, so he can scare you again?" Finn asked sarcastically.

"I'm not going to be scared again." I said, getting irritated. "Can we just go to bed? I'm very tired."

"Yeah, let's do that." Piper said, standing up and stretching. "Good night, boys."

"Night Piper." I said, watching her leave the room. I got up, too, turning out the light and getting into bed, the others doing the same. Tomorrow was going to be another long day.

^V^

When classes were over, I found Piper by our locker talking to another one of her roommates, named Dove. I greeted them as I put my books in our locker.

"So, how was your meeting with the president?" Dove asked me.

"It was… fine." I said. I didn't feel like going into details.

"So was mine, sort of." She said. I did a double-take.

"What? You got picked, too?"

"Yeah, she did. You were there when they called the names." Piper told me.

"I… guess I wasn't listening." I rubbed the back of my head. "So, who's your vampire?"

"It's Ravess." Dove snarled. "She's not very nice, but she didn't kill me." She showed us the bandage that covered the bite marks, with dried-up blood around the edges. Seeing that suddenly made me nervous. "She only took what she needed and kicked me out."

"Well, that's good." Piper said. She looked at me, seeing my nervous expression. "You alright?"

"Uh, yeah." I answered, closing the locker. "Well, I gotta go… do my homework." I said shortly, starting to walk quickly down the hallway. What the hell was wrong with me? I was never scared of vampires or blood before, so why am I scared now?

^V^

It was nighttime, and time to go back to the Dark Ace's "penthouse" dorm. I knocked on the door and followed the creepy thin butler in like I did before, and stood nervously in front of his door again.

"Hello?" I said, creeping my way inside.

"Come in, Aerrow." I heard the Dark Ace say soothingly. I did what he said, shutting the door as gently as I could. I scanned the room, but there was no Dark Ace… again. I figured he might be sitting in the chair again. "I'm in the next room." He called. I followed the voice to the adjacent room, finding the dark-haired vampire sitting at a dining table, with a plate of food set at the opposite seat. "Please sit down and eat, if you like." He said.

"Uh, okay, sure." The food did look good, and my dinner wasn't precisely satisfying. I sat down and picked up the fork, but then I stopped suddenly.

"What's the matter?" Dark Ace asked me.

"Is this poisoned or something?" I asked bluntly. The Dark Ace looked at me for a second, and then put his hand to his mouth, snickering softly.

"No, it isn't." He said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Our chef made it."

"Vampires have chefs?" I found that rather odd.

"Yes, for the feeders, and for other human acquaintances." He snapped his fingers, and in seconds a fat man with a beard came in, wiping grease off his hands. "Armano, you are free to leave."

"Thanks, sir." He looked over at me. "Enjoy the food, kid."

"Thank you." I said to him as he left.

"He works in the cafeteria to kill the time that we don't need him." Dark Ace joked. I took a bite of the food.

"Mm, it's a lot better than the cafeteria food, though." He laughed again. "Dark Ace, why did you do this for me?"

"Simple." Dark Ace leaned back in his chair, his eyes swelling with pride. "I don't want you to be scared of me."

"But…" I sighed, deciding not to argue. "But… I don't know why I'm scared. I shouldn't be."

"Oh, no?" Dark Ace cocked his head to the side.

"Yeah, I mean… I'm not prejudice of vampires at all." I explained. "Vampires aren't too different from humans or animals. We all have to eat to survive. It's just a matter of seeing things. I guess… I got scared like any prey would." There was a long pause, and then the Dark Ace cracked a smile.

"You are a very insightful boy." He said to me. "It's just that… the fear gets old after so many years; I want the fear to turn into… excitement." His eyes got darker.

"That's really weird for a vampire to say." I said. "Especially you. All the girls in my class adore you, and the boys are jealous of you. And all the vampires here seem to follow you."

"Yes, but out of fear." He pointed out, resting his head in his hand. "Being the rich president is not that great."

"Lonely at the top, eh?" I said, finishing the dinner.

"Hmph, I suppose." He added softly. I looked up at his expression, and though he was trying to hide it, I could tell it was… sadness. Loneliness. I always knew vampires could be lonely creatures, but when there's a place full of them, I thought they'd be able to find someone. I guess in his case, it's different. I felt bad. I didn't want him to feel like that.

"Well…" I stood and walked carefully over to him. He looked up at me, and I felt a blush rise in my face. "Maybe… we could be friends, if you want." His eyes went wide and his mouth opened slightly, totally surprised at what I just said. I smiled genuinely, showing the truthfulness in my statement.

"I would like that, Aerrow." He smirked back to me. "But let's get one thing straight right now." He took my hand in his, gently rubbing the back of it with his thumb. "You… are not my prey." He looked dead in my eyes, making me shiver a little.

"R-Right, Dark Ace."

"Please, just call me Ace."

"O-Okay… Ace."

^V^

Thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorited! Y'all make me happy!


	5. 5: Party

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 5: Party

^V^

"WOO! A PARTY! Can I come?" Finn said, jumping up and down anxiously. After I proposed a friendship to the Dark A- I mean, Ace, he invited me and another one of my friends to a party the next night (We had off from class). I eagerly accepted, but now I have to make a decision of whom I will take with me to the party.

The decision, however, would not be difficult.

"I choose Piper." I said flatly. Everyone else put on their rejected faces.

"Aw, why can't I go?" Finn asked, pouting.

"You're not going to like it Finn." I explained as nicely as I could. "It's a stuffy, rich folk's party. And Junko, there's not going to be food there, and Stork…"

"No, it's fine." Stork said. "Really."

"Well, I'd love to go, Aerrow. Thanks." Piper smiled.

"No problem." I said.

^V^

"Why are we wearing our uniforms?" Piper asked, already annoyed with me. "We're going to a party!"

"He didn't say it was formal." I said, looking ahead through the gate. "And look, everyone else is wearing theirs."

"Oh, fine." Piper huffed. "But… this is weird that we're the only day class students. Are we?"

"Ace didn't tell me anything except what time the party was."

"Ace?" Piper asked, shocked for some reason. "He's letting you call him that?"

"Sure." I smiled. "We're friends, now."

"Okay." Piper replied. We got to the gate, and there was a vampire sitting at a desk with a list. I decided to ignore him and started walking through the gate, but he got up immediately, standing in my way.

"Are you on the list?" He asked in a scary tone.

"Um… I'm not sure… the president invited me." I told him, holding my hands up in peaceful defense.

"Hm… is that so?" The vampire started closing in on me. "What's your name?"

"Aerrow, and this is Piper." I gestured to her.

"Aerrow?!" The vampire staggered back, suddenly nervous and baring his fangs. I was about to ask him what was wrong, but a big hand rested on my shoulder, turning my attention in that direction.

"It's okay. Let him get through." The big, muscular vampire holding my shoulder said to the other. He let me and Piper through the gate. I got a good look at this guy; he was huge, even bigger than Junko, and had purple hair and eyes. "Name's Snipe." He said, pointing to himself. "The president ordered me to watch you until he arrives."

"Oh, uh, thanks." I said. "He's not here? Where is he?"

"He, uh… doesn't usually come to these things." Snipe said, rubbing the back of his head. "And when he does, he likes to be fashionably late. Don't ask why."

"Okay." I nodded.

"ARGH! What the hell?!" I heard someone behind me shout. We all turned and watched the gate vampire trying to pull something big and hairy off his face.

"Radarr!" I recognized him quickly. He heard me, and jumped off the guy's face and over the gate, running to me. I picked him up, looking at his smiling face. "What are you doing here?"

"Is that thing yours?" The vampire said under gritted teeth, his scratches already healing.

"Yeah, he must have been worried." I said, and the vampire grunted. I stepped back, letting Radarr get on my shoulder. "I'm sorry! I promise he won't do it again!" He looked at me, Radarr, and Snipe before huffing angrily and going back to guarding the gate. I let out a sigh of relief.

_RING_

"What's that bell for?" Piper asked.

"It means the president's coming." Snipe said, starting to walk towards the Moon Dorm's entrance. "Let's go." Piper and I looked at each other, and then followed him carefully. Everyone at the party was crowded around the small stairs at the entrance, waiting for the Dark Ace to come out the door.

"Wow." And then I saw him. He was wearing his uniform, like everyone else, but for some reason, he looked so regal in it. He greeted everyone and waved, smiling politely. They all smiled and waved back, thriving in his outstanding presence. "He… really is like a king." I said to no one in particular. I continued watching him until I heard someone call me.

"Aerrow… Aerrow!"

"Huh?" I snapped out of my daze, turning to face Piper. "What?"

"Aren't you going to meet him?" She asked, her hands on her hips and her eyebrow rose.

"Oh… yeah." I walked over and squeezed through the crowd, finding the space in front of the steps where he was coming down. "Hi, Ace!" I smiled at him, waving to get his attention. Suddenly, I heard everybody gasp. I looked around, and they were all staring at me, probably shocked that I called him Ace, like Piper was. I laughed nervously, not really knowing what to do. I felt a slender hand touch my shoulders and I looked up, seeing Ace. He gave them a look, and they all backed off, dispersing into their groups. I saw Piper walk up behind me. "I, uh… guess I shouldn't call you that in public, huh?"

"It's fine. They know now." He said in a soothing voice.

"This is my friend, Piper." I said, introducing the two. He nodded and took her hand, chivalrously kissing the back of it.

"It's nice to meet you." She smiled, enjoying his etiquette.

"The pleasure's mine." He replied.

"And this little guy is Radarr." I pointed to him. "He followed us here. Sorry about that."

"No, it's alright." He said, reaching his hand out carefully to Radarr. He let Radarr sniff him first before scratching his cheek gently. The little guy let out a satisfying noise and smiled, jumping in Ace's arms. I was about to yell at him, but Ace just snickered, continuing to scratch him. I sighed and smiled.

"Wow, I can't believe Radarr warmed up to you so quickly." I said. "He must really like you."

"I'm flattered." He said, letting Radarr jump back on my shoulder. "Would you mind if Aerrow and I sat alone for a moment, Piper?" He asked politely.

"Not at all." She smiled at him, and then at me, silently asking Radarr to go with her. He obeyed, jumping in her arms. Ace wrapped his arm around my shoulders and led me to a bench, the two of us sitting down. As I sat there, I got an even better chance to look around at everyone; they were all such beautiful, elegant people, each one emanating silent darkness. And… they were all looking in my direction. Their eyes glowed with something I could distinguish right away.

"They all hate me." I said quietly. Ace sat up a little, looking around, too.

"How can you tell so easily?" He asked.

"I…" I actually didn't know for sure. For some reason, I was just always really good at reading people's eyes, especially vampires. "I just can. In their eyes… it's not hunger, it's hate and jealousy." I turned to him. "Why?"

"Hm… I don't know." Ace said, sitting back and crossing his legs. "But it doesn't matter. You are safe as long as I am here." I smiled at him in thanks; I knew that I could trust him. He is kind of like a king around here.

"Do they know that… you haven't taken blood from me?" I asked, trying to keep my voice low so that no one else would hear.

"Yes, they can tell." Ace answered.

"Are you sure that's okay?" I asked him. "Cuz I know what happens to vampires when they don't drink."

"How do you know that?" Ace asked.

"I read." I said, eyeing him carefully.

"It is perfectly fine, for now." Ace smirked. "The blood tablets keep me satisfied for a maximum of two weeks. I have three days left."

"I see." I exhaled, relieved that he'll be okay for a while.

"Hey, Aerrow, it's getting late." Piper and Radarr came up to us. "We should be getting to bed."

"Alright." I got up and turned to Ace. "Sorry, I gotta go."

"It's fine." Ace said simply, smiling kindly.

"So, I'll see you in three days?" I asked.

"That sounds great, Aerrow." Ace bowed his head to me. "I will see you then."

"Y-Yeah. See ya later." I mumbled, feeling my face get hot again. I turned and headed home with Piper, and I could feel her stink-eye on me. "What?"

"You sure act weird around him." She told me straight. I didn't say anything back. I just kept thinking about what would happen in three days.

^V^


	6. 6: Connect

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 6: Connect

^V^

Piper and I got back to our dorms after the long walk. The two of us were very tired, and didn't really feel like answering all of Finn's dumb questions.

"So, how was it? Huh? HUH?!" Said you-know-who.

"It was stuffy and boring, just like I said." I told him, trudging to my bed.

"How was the Dark Ace?" Finn turned to Piper, getting the hint and leaving me alone.

"He is a very kind and polite gentleman." She crossed her arms. "You could all learn from him."

"Is he really?" Finn sat down on his bed, somewhat disappointed. "He's not dark and mysterious? Or a stuck-up rich guy?"

"He's a little of all those things, Finn." I said, already crashed and fanned out on my bed, Radarr curled up on my side. "Now can we all just get in bed?"

"Jeez, what's with you, dude?" Finn asked. "You're acting weird."

"He's just really tired." Piper vouched for me. She knew there was something on my mind, otherwise I wouldn't be acting like this.

"Yeah, I'm sorry." I said, turning over on my side and yawning again.

"He's right, though. We need to get in bed." Piper said on her way out. "We're not vampires." She turned off the light and shut the door behind her.

I got comfortable and closed my eyes, Ace's image filling up my thoughts until I fell asleep.

^V^

It was now three days after the party; the day I give Ace my blood. I wasn't thinking clearly all day and my anxiety was building up immensely, not just because of the giving blood part, but also the Ace part. I couldn't get his black hair or his crimson eyes out of my head for three days. He was haunting me.

But was it in a bad way? I wasn't sure. Was I scared of him and his fangs, or was I charmed by his politeness and appearance? Well, either way, I thought, was very dangerous. It seems like I already breached a line when I called him a friend. I can't let more lines get crossed, at least so soon.

I arrived at the Moon dorm as soon as the sun was set under the horizon. I met the strange butler guy at the door again. "Oh, no, I know where the room is now. You don't need to take me there." He thought for a moment, then nodded, letting me pass and go to the room myself.

I took a deep breath before knocking on the door of the president's room. After a few seconds I heard his voice say, "Come in". As usual, I sneaked in nervously, closing the door gently, and, as usual, he wasn't directly where I could see him. Did he do that on purpose? "I'm out here, Aerrow." I followed his voice through the den and out to the balcony, Ace leaning forward on the rail and looking over his shoulder at me. "Please, come join me." He said gently.

"Um… okay." I muttered back, stepping out on the balcony and standing next to him. A careless breeze flew by and blew through my hair. It was a really nice night; it wasn't too cold and the full moon lit everything up to a bluish tone. The air smelled great and wasn't too damp. I heard birds chirping, too. It was really peaceful out there.

"Isn't it?" I turned to Ace, who was smirking at me.

"Wha… you can… read my thoughts?" I sounded surprised, though I wasn't, really. I had read that vampires could do that. Ace nodded, and turned his attention back to the view.

"Do you like the night, Aerrow?" He asked me, the moon illuminating his profile.

"Well, sure." I answered. "Not as much as I like the daytime, to be honest."

"Is it really that wonderful?" I watched his eyes drop the confidence he had to show that loneliness I had seen before. I frowned, feeling like I had upset him.

"I'm sorry." I said. "I guess you've never been out during the day." He shook his head sadly.

"We can see the sun through these windows." He told me. I looked at the glass doors that closed off the balcony. "They are specially made to block the rays from hitting our skin."

"Oh, well that's kinda cool." I smiled to him. "At least you can see the sun somehow." He turned his head to look at me. "So, I guess you don't sleep in a coffin, then?" I blushed, finding that question stupid.

"I've never slept in a coffin, but yes, you're right." He smiled amusingly. "Not everything you read about us is true." I nodded, then cocked my head in curiosity.

"So… then… what is true?" I asked, a hint of excitement in my voice. Ace noticed.

"Aerrow, you seem to find vampires interesting." He grinned, intentionally showing off his teeth.

"Well, yeah, of course." I said honestly, shrugging my shoulders. "Who doesn't?" Ace snickered at first, then let out a hearty laugh.

"Well, my dear boy, it's the same way for us." He said after clearing his throat. "Mortals are very interesting. Much more than vampires." He gave me a look. "I'm sure you'll find out all you want to know in good time."

"Oh, um… yeah…" I mumbled, his eyes intimidating me a little. "So, uh…" I tried changing the subject delicately. "What… happened to your old feeder? He didn't…" I gulped.

"Absolutely not, Aerrow." He assured me sternly. "He simply graduated."

"Oh." I wanted to sigh in relief, but something was wrong, as if I insulted him. "I'm sorry, I was just…"

"Don't worry about it." He said, though I didn't quite believe him. "I mentioned before that killing doesn't excite me." He reached out and touched my face gently with his hand. "I will not kill you." I read his eyes to see if he was telling the truth and… he was. One-hundred percent. He wasn't going to kill me.

"Okay." I smiled brightly, giving the moon a run for its money. Ace flashed me a smile of his own. "Shall we do this, then?"

"Indeed." He raised an eyebrow. "You're not scared?"

"Nope." I answered quickly. He nodded and took my hand, leading me to the couch in the den.

"Please sit." He instructed. I obeyed, plopping down on the couch and sitting up straight. As he sat next to me, I decided to prepare a little for this. I took off my uniform jacket and tie, and undid the first two buttons of the undershirt. I pulled the collar down so the left side of my neck was exposed. He was giving me a curious look the whole time. I felt my cheeks heat up again, and I nervously tilted my chin up and shut my eyes, just waiting for him. I heard him snicker again, and he closed the gap between us on the couch, taking my neck gently in his hands. His hands were cold, and I shivered.

"Just relax, Aerrow." He whispered in my ear, his hands stroking my neck tenderly. "Go with the sensation." He removed his hand from the left side of my neck and placed it on my shoulder, pulling me even closer. I relaxed a little as I felt his lips caress the spot he would bite on my neck. I decided to steady myself by wrapping my arms around his back, lightly gripping at his shoulder-blades. I quickly inhaled and let it out slowly, showing him that I was ready. He opened his mouth, carefully placed his fangs on my neck, and…

"Ah-hah!" I whimpered in pain, my grip tightening on his shoulders as I felt those teeth plunge into my skin. I instantly felt weak, my body already reacting to the blood being drawn from it. It was a fast, rushing feeling; the blood coming out of my body and into Ace's mouth. I opened my eyes only to see fuzz in my vision. "Ah…" My breathing was becoming more difficult every passing second.

_Aerrow… it's alright. You'll be alright._ I heard Ace talking to me using his mind. His voice helped me relax… Spots entered my vision. The light was becoming brighter.

And then… the light was gone.

^V^


	7. 7: Tales

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 7: Tales

^V^

My eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the strange lighting in the room. I was still in Ace's room, lying on the couch, the sunlight barely managing to illuminate the area. I looked away from the windows to see none other than Ace sitting in a chair at my side, looking down at me with relief in his eyes.

"Oh…!" I suddenly felt embarrassed about this situation. "Ace, what…" I tried sitting up, but my body was way too weak to do anything. I felt a pain in my neck from where Ace bit me… He bit me? "What happened to me?"

"You were unconscious for hours, Aerrow." Ace said in his smooth voice. "After I fed from you, you passed out."

"Oh…" I felt embarrassed about this. I didn't think I'd pass out because of this. "Sorry…"

"Please…" He took my hand in his, stroking my fingers. "I'm the one who should apologize. I took too much." He sighed. "You may rest here for the day."

"But… what about school? And my friends are probably…"

"You can't go to class in your condition. And I have taken the liberty of notifying your friends." He explained. I unconsciously reached up to touch the puncture wounds in my throat, but something was covering it. "I bandaged you wound. It's not as bad as you might think. The pain will go away, Aerrow." He finished with a smile. I gave him a surprised look. I didn't expect him to do all this for me, especially me, a simple, lowly human. Well, that's what they thought, right?

"Thank you." I said finally, smiling back. "I, uh… thanks." I turned over on my side, getting comfortable. I wanted to see Ace better.

"It's my pleasure." He bowed his head to me, being a gentleman again. "I'll stay by your side."

"Shouldn't you be getting to bed?" I asked, half-joking. It was morning, so I figured he should be sleeping right now.

"It's not too late." Ace looked out the window. "It's only seven."

"Oh." I replied. We sat in silence for what seemed like a good while. "So, uh… since I'm here… how 'bout we… talk, or something?"

"I'd love to." Ace said. "About what?"

"Well…" I thought for a moment. "Why don't you tell me about yourself?"

"What would you like to know, dear boy?"

"Uh…" Actually, there was so much I wanted to know about him, I didn't know where to start. His family, his powers… I didn't want to make it sound like I was one of his day-class fans giving him a celebrity interview.

"Let me guess." He leaned forward, possibly to read my thoughts. "You want to know what it's like to be a vampire, no?"

"Oh, no! Uh, well…" I felt my damn face get hot once again.

"Heh… mortals are all the same." He snickered. "Hm… Very well, I will tell you anything you would like." He sat back and laced his fingers together, waiting for me to ask him something. I cleared my throat, thinking of what to ask first.

"Um… can you move really fast?"

"Yes." He answered simply.

"Can you grow your nails long?" He humored me by taking his index finger and pointing it at me, and I watched as his fingernail grew out till it almost touched my nose. I giggled nervously, seeing that the nail also grew incredibly sharp, and that he could slice my face off very easily if he wanted. He pulled it back and folded his hands again. "Can you teleport to different places?"

"I'm afraid I don't have that power." He said. "The dark gift is different for all of us, even for purebloods."

"I see." I said. "Well, do you have any other powers?"

"Hm…" He paused, giving me a strange look. "I'm sure you'll find out some other time."

I wasn't so sure what he meant by that, but I chose to change the subject… a bit. "How about all those silly vampire-killing myths, like garlic or crucifixes, or the stake through the heart - are those true?"

"A stake will not kill our kind." He said, leaning down closer to me than he did before. "The heart must be removed from the body completely." I could tell he was enjoying my cringing. "And garlic and crucifixes only bothered my ancestors."

"So, that means you're a direct descendent of Lilith?"* I asked excitedly.

"Yes, that's right." Ace grinned. "You have certainly done your research." I laughed humbly.

"Who are your parents, then? Maybe I've heard of them."

And then, for the first time since I met him, I saw Ace's eyes flash with pure evil and anger. It ended as quickly as it came, the flash burning out from behind his eyes. I felt goose-bumps roll over my body when I saw that emotion. "A-Ace?" I said quietly, kind of afraid to say anything.

"They were Ajax II and Iren." He said, almost darkly. "They… were murdered… not too long ago."

"Oh no…" I sat up. "Ace, I'm so sorry." I felt horrible for his loss. I didn't say it out loud, but, I hadn't heard of his parents. I didn't do that much research, really.

"Thank you." He said, but it felt like he didn't mean it. He fell silent and looked away from me, ignoring my presence until I spoke up again.

"My parents were killed, too." I said softly. His eyes shot daggers at nothing in particular when I said that.

"By whom?" He asked nervously.

"By… a vampire." I frowned. "A bad one. I was three, and I was there and saw it but… I never got a good look at its face, because it was dark. I can hardly remember anything that happened, anyway. It's all scattered… The one part I remembered was the local sky knight asking me if I saw who did it, and then Piper's family said I could live with them." It was my turn to stare into space as I remembered all that. It was true; I barely remember what happened, but at the same time, I'm glad I don't.

"Have you ever wanted revenge?"

"What?"

"Revenge." Ace repeated, his eyes meeting mine in a serious gaze. "Do you want to find and kill the vampire responsible for your parents' death?" I blinked, curious as to why he'd ask. Maybe he wanted to for his parents?

"I… thought about it." I told him, rubbing the back of my head. "But… revenge makes no sense. It doesn't change the fact that my parents are gone. And, if I took revenge on that vampire… someone's probably gonna do the same to me. Killing just leads to more killing, you know?"

After I said that, his eyes went from that dark seriousness, to utterly surprised, back to their original softness and coyness. "Yes… Yes, you're right, Aerrow." He smiled kindly. "Once again, you have shown me your great insight." Insight, huh? "How are you feeling, now?"

"Oh, pretty good." I touched the bandage. "It still kinda hurts."

"Does it?" He got off his chair and came towards me, taking my neck in his gentle hands. "Allow me." I saw his fingers glow blue out of the corner of my eye. He pressed two fingers where the wound was, and I felt the pain drain out of me, much like when he took blood from that same spot. When he stopped, the pain was gone, but I felt very tired. I realized what he meant by his other power; he could heal flesh wounds. "You need to rest more. I will be in my room if you need me."

"O-Okay." I mumbled, his fingers lightly caressing my face. I felt it get hot again. "Thanks a lot, Ace." I smiled. "You're very kind."

"You have no idea, boy." He smirked again, leaning in and, carefully, gave me a feather-light kiss on my forehead. He stood up straight, his cold yet elegant fingers leaving my face, and started for his bedroom, leaving me stunned and bright red.

_What was that?_ I thought. _He just… just…_ I shook my head, and lied back down, finding a comfortable position. _I shouldn't read too much into it. Vampires are naturally flirtatious creatures. He's just playing…_ I tried to fall asleep, but yet again the vampire was plaguing my thoughts.

I could do nothing but dream about him…

^V^

Hey, everybody, thanx for favoriting and reviewing! It really means a lot to me.

* Lilith was the first vampire, a demon from the Old Testament. Look it up. ;)


	8. 8: Sick

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 8: Sick

^V^

It's been a week since Ace fed from me, and next week, I'm supposed to do it all over again. I figured that Ace took so much blood from me the last time was because it was too long of a wait. So to be safe, I told him I'd come three days before the second week was over. So, technically, I've got four days until my next offering.

Unfortunately, I felt my throat getting scratchy and my sinuses swelling. I was going to have a full-blown cold by then.

"Oh no, you think you're getting a cold?" Piper said, putting her hand on my forehead. "I hope a fever won't come with that."

"Your immune system was lowered when the Dark Ace sucked your blood." Stork said darkly. "If he takes more, a simple cold could turn into the flu! Or pneumonia!"

"Okay, okay, Stork." I put my hands up defensively. "Listen, I'll be fine. It's just a little cold. I'm still gonna go to him in four days and talk to him about it, and we'll see what happens."

"But, your cold's going to get worse." Junko said. "And it's a long walk from our dorm to his. Why don't you just call him from our room?"

"I… uh…" Actually, that was a good idea, but… "I want to see him." Was all I said. I turned and got into bed, but instead of Piper giving me the ol' stink eye; it was Finn's turn to get suspicious.

Wait a minute… suspicious of what?

^V^

Going to see Ace wasn't that great of an idea after all.

It was terribly windy and cold outside, the weather aggravating my sickness further. Usually, I wouldn't mind the long walk to the Moon dorms; it was good exercise, but in my crappy condition, exercise wasn't what I needed. At least the weekend started tomorrow so I could rest up a little.

I finally arrived at the big entrance and knocked, and the butler immediately opened the giant door. He could already sense something was wrong with me, but I waved my hand, silently telling him not to worry about anything. It was tons of effort for me to climb up the stairs and walk through the hallways, too. I took a deep breath and knocked on his door. I heard Ace beckon me, allowing me to come inside.

"You don't have to knock, you know." I heard him say from his bedroom. "I already know it's you."

"Oh… alright." I said breathlessly, leaning my back against the door. Ace came out of his room, realizing I wasn't quite myself.

"What's the matter, Aerrow?" He stood in front of me, his red eyes showing concern.

"I, uh… have a cold." I told him, running my fingers through my hair.

"Is that all?" Ace put his cold hand on my cheek, gently rubbing it. "You feel much warmer than usual. Please sit down." I nodded and followed him to the couch, plopping myself down on it and letting out a groan. He sat next to me. "Why did you come if you're so ill?"

"Well, I uh…" I stuttered. "I… wanted to let you know."

"You could have just called." He smirked.

"Uh… personally." I added on to my last sentence.

"Hm…" He gave me a funny look. "You certainly are an oddity." He sighed. "I will not drink your blood tonight. You need it, and, if you don't mind my saying, sick blood doesn't taste very good."

"Oh, okay." I simply said. "I'll go home, then." I tried standing, but my head started spinning and my body was too weak to move properly. "Ugh…" I fell back on the couch.

"All the way back to your dorm?" Ace took my head in his hands again. "I don't think so. You could spend the night here."

"Oh, I don't want to bother you." I told him, trying to think of other options. I couldn't have someone carry me back to the dorms; that'd be way too embarrassing. I could call Piper or one of the guys and they could walk me back, but I don't want to bother them, or get them sick. I looked up at Ace, who was still holding my face. For some reason, I really did want to stay here with this man… this vampire. I didn't want to leave him. "Are you sure it's okay for me to stay?"

"I'm positive." He smiled. "You may sleep in my bed, if you wish. I'll get you a cold compress." He helped me stand and escorted me to his bedroom, turning on the light.

"Wow!" I said, getting an eyeful of his amazing bedroom. The high walls were a rosy red, with a 17th century wallpaper border on top. The dresser and desks were made of black wood. There were two doors; one was for the closet and the other probably for his bathroom. His bed was huge; it looked like it could fit four people, and it had a canopy of black satin. The sheets were also satin, but white, and the top blanket was made of black fur. There were also some paintings, and a portrait across from the bed. "Who are these people?" I asked him.

"Those are my dear parents." Ace said, his eyes fixed on the painting.

"Oh…" I went to get a closer look, standing in front of the portrait. There was a regal background as his father stood in front of it proudly, his mother in his father's arm. "They're very lovely." I smiled to Ace. "You look just like them."

"Thank you." He said after a long pause. "All right now, please get in bed."

"Okay." I crawled onto the bed, feeling a little guilty about taking his bed (even though he's not using it right now) and getting germs all over it (even though he doesn't catch colds). It was comfortable, almost too comfortable. I thought I would've fallen asleep if I didn't feel a cold towel on my forehead just then. "Mmm…" I purred, the compress feeling really good. I looked up at Ace who was smiling down at me contently. I gave him a guilty smile. "You're… so kind… thank you so much for this, really…"

"It's my pleasure to help you, Aerrow." He took my hand in his. "If you feel better later, you may take a shower. I will notify your friends as I leave for class. I'll be back as soon as possible." He bent down to kiss my hand. I shivered. "Good night, Aerrow."

"G-Good night, Ace." I said. He nodded, and then turned and left the bedroom. I heard the door in the den close. I lied there in his bed, wondering why I couldn't get to sleep, even though I was so tired.

That man… he's so kind, so gentle… and yet he is a vampire.

This man was gnawing his way into my heart.

^V^

Happy V-Day! Here's your gift! (shoves it in your face) lol Thx to everyone who reads my stuff!!!


	9. 9: Reflection

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 9: Reflection

^V^

"_Mom?" The little boy called out from his room. He heard a bang, and muffled cries and screams. "Mom…" He called again, tip-toeing down the hallway. "Mom? Dad?" He felt cold and scared, wondering what was making those scary noises. He reached the end of the hallway, and then let out a muffled cry of his own…_

"Aerrow…" I heard Ace's gentle voice say, lightly touching my shoulder to wake me up. My eyes shot open, still stunned by my nightmare.

"Ugh…" I moaned, rubbing my eyes.

"Were you having a dream?" He asked me.

"Yeah…" I answered. "I haven't had that nightmare in years."

"Nightmare?" Ace asked again.

"About my parents…" I decided not to finish. "Never mind."

"Hm… alright." He sighed. "How are you feeling?"

"Uh, actually… I feel a whole lot better!" I just noticed. "I'm still sleepy, though…" Ace reached down and put his hand on my forehead.

"Your fever is gone." He smiled. I smiled back, sitting up on the bed. I swung my legs over the side. I looked down at the bed, still feeling guilty for using it.

"Hey, um… I could get the sheets cleaned for you…" I said awkwardly, rubbing the back of my head.

"It's perfectly fine." Ace interrupted. "There's no need." I looked up at him again, realizing that he wasn't wearing his uniform. He had a white, very loose-fitting pajama top that exposed a lot of his broad and muscular chest, and matching pajama pants. I caught myself staring and turned my eyes away.

"Uh, well, I should get going. You need to go to bed." I said, feeling that damn blush return to my cheeks.

"If you insist." He leaned down. "You sure you'll be okay?"

"Yeah! I've only got a stuffy nose. I'll be alright." I assured him. "Thank you so much, really…"

"It's my pleasure, dear boy." He whispered. I shivered when he said that, finding myself trapped in his red eyes again.

"I-I'll see you in a few days, then." I stuttered, standing up. "Bye."

"Good-bye, Aerrow." He said as he touched my face tenderly. He lingered there for a moment, but for some reason, I let him. I even felt like I was falling into it… his cool, yet sincere touch.

^V^

As usual, the guys and Piper anxiously awaited my return. I really didn't feel like talking; I just wanted to sleep more. I walked past them and crashed down on my bed, peeling off my shoes and socks.

"So…" Piper prodded me. I sighed heavily.

"So, nothing. I was sick, and he let me sleep in his bed." They all gave me a weird look. "What?"

"Nothing else happened?" Finn asked slyly.

"What are you implying?" I asked back. "He didn't take my blood."

"That's… not exactly…"

"What's going on?" I asked, a little annoyed.

"Well, Aerrow…" Piper started. "You and Ace… really are… uh…"

"We think he likes you." Stork stated bluntly. "And… maybe vice versa."

"Whoa… what?!" I sat up, utterly surprised that they thought such a thing.

"He lets you use his bed, and you accept…" Piper sighed. "I don't think… a vampire like him would treat a human so kindly."

"I…" I stopped myself from arguing. She was right; He is very kind to me, for what reason I don't know. He is a vampire and, apparently a very important and rich one at that. Someone in his position should just be treating me like a slave, but… "He and I are friends." I explained, mostly to myself. "I made him happy when I asked him to be my friend. That's all."

"You also said he kissed you on the head." Junko added. Radarr made an agreeing noise.

"Vampires are just touchy-feely creatures." I lay back down. "It's not what you think."

"Well, what about you?" Piper asked sweetly. "Do you like him?"

"No! No, not like…" I stopped, actually thinking about this. Do… Do I like him? Is that what I've been feeling since I met him? I… I wasn't completely sure about what I felt for him. So, I simply answered: "No."

"Well, alright." Piper sighed, unhappy that I wasn't being completely honest with her (and I usually am). "Come on, guys, let's leave him be. Good night."

^V^

The cold was ninety-five percent gone by the time I went to see Ace again. I was sure my blood would taste much better than it would have three days ago. I was also hoping that I wouldn't pass out like I did the first time. I didn't want to miss school (even though I have absentee privileges as a feeder) each time I fed Ace my blood.

The walk to Ace's dorm wasn't a grueling task like it was last time. As I approached the entrance, though, I felt like I was being watched, and not my friendly eyes, either. The feeling wasn't fleeting… it was intent. I scanned the area, but I didn't see anyone outside or in the windows of the dorm. I decided to hurry to the entrance, going through the door quickly, the feeling easing when the big door closed behind me. I politely waved to the butler-man and made my way towards Ace's room. I knew I'd stop worrying when I would see him again.

I went right in, like he asked me to, but I didn't see him right away. "Good evening, Aerrow." Ace said, standing up from his chair.

"Hi, Ace." I smiled at him. "I'm definitely ready, tonight."

"Good." He smiled back. "Please have a seat." I obeyed, plopping down on his couch again. He sat beside me, very closely. I suddenly remembered all those things my friends said the other day, and it made me blush deeply. "Is something wrong?" He asked me, snapping me from my thoughts.

"Oh, uh… no. Well…" I changed my mind. "I… felt like someone was watching me when I was walking here…"

"Really?" Ace seemed alarmed. "Did you see anyone?"

"Well, no." I shrugged. "It was probably nothing."

"I should send someone out to look." He said, but he just sat there. However, in seconds, there was someone at the door.

"You called, Boss?" I heard a voice say on the other side of the door.

"Snipe," Ace began his order. "Check the grounds for suspicious characters."

"Yes, Boss." I heard Snipe hurry away. I looked up at Ace in awe.

"That was convenient." I said.

"Indeed." He snickered. There was some silence.

"Well, should we just get to it?" I asked rather bluntly. "I'm sure you're hungry."

"Hm… alright."

"I'll try not to pass out this time." I joked.

"That wasn't your fault." He said seriously. "It was mine. I took too much." He leaned down, putting his slender fingers under my chin. "I promise to take the proper amount this time."

"Well…" I blushed. "Will you be okay?"

"Yes, of course." He let go of my chin. I nodded, then undid the first few buttons of my shirt, letting it slide down my shoulders. I looked into his eyes before lifting my chin and exposing my neck to him. He wrapped his fingers around the back of my head, curling them into my red hair. I felt his cool breath on my neck before he said: "I'll be gentle." I let out a sigh, relaxing my body as I heard his voice. His fangs pressed against my jugular vein, and, very slowly, sunk into my flesh.

"A-Ah…" I let out a little cry, wrapping my arms around his back and lightly clutching him. I felt my blood rushing to that spot, but it wasn't as painful or as shocking this time. The feeling was almost sweet and, dare I think it, loving. I felt a deep connection form between us. A blood bond… that couldn't be broken, no matter what. "Ah…" I moaned, feeling his fangs leave my body. I got lightheaded and fell forward. Ace caught me and laid me down on the couch, caressing my cheek with his hand.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah…" I replied, smiling lazily. "I didn't faint yet!"

"You won't faint." Ace assured me.

"No, I won't." I said. "I think after a while, I'll be able to walk home." I looked up at him as my vision cleared. He was very close; His body was looming over mine, and our faces were about a foot apart. I twitched in pain, feeling my neck throb.

"Oh, I almost forgot." He leaned down and put his face by my vein again. I jumped a little as I felt his lips gently kiss the bite mark he left behind. A massive blush crossed my cheeks as he lingered there for a few long seconds. "There, it should heal better now."

I reached up and touched the place where he kissed me. It was amazing; the wound was almost completely healed, and there was no more pain. "That's so cool." I smiled up at him. "Thank you." He smiled back politely.

"Boss?" We heard Snipe call from the hall.

"Yes?" Ace answered.

"There was nothing suspicious outside, sir."

"Very well, you may be excused, then."

"Thanks, boss." We heard him walk away.

"I guess it really was my imagination." I sighed.

"You should still be careful out there." Ace sat up. I followed slowly, letting my blood-flow return to normal. "Do you need help getting home?" He asked, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

"No, no, I'll be fine." I said. "I'll take breaks if I need to." I looked up at his still-worried face. "Thanks so much for caring about me."

"It's my pleasure." He took my hand and pressed his lips to my fingers. "Take care, Aerrow."

"Th-Thanks, you too." I said nervously. I stood up slowly and easily made my way to the door. I turned around to see Ace one last time before exiting the room.

As I left the dorm and trudged along outside, I once again caught myself thinking about the dark-haired vampire, and all the chivalrous things we does to me, like kissing my hand and letting me sleep in his bed. I know he's kind and thoughtful, but when he does things like that, it makes me feel… I don't know… strange. I always blush and stutter when I'm with him, and I always think of him. So was… was Piper right… about him and me?

_SSSHHHH_

"Huh?" I heard something in the woods as I walked by. Suddenly, that feeling of being watched came back to me. I tried to walk faster, but the blood loss wasn't helping with that. I stopped and decided to confront my stalker. "Who's there?" I called out.

_SSSHHHAAAAAAA_

"AAH!" Someone came up behind me and grabbed my arms, roughly putting them behind my back and pushing me to the ground. I tried fighting, but it was no use; my assailant was too strong. "What the hell?!"

"You, Aerrow…" I heard a female voice say. I looked up to see two vampires standing before me, their fangs big and sharp and their eyes evil and bloodthirsty. "How unfair it is for us vampires that a puny human like you would get all the attention from The Dark Ace." The female one said again.

"What? I…"

"How dare he treat someone like you so preciously." The blonde man next to her stepped up. "Someone like _you_…"

"What are you talking about?" I asked frantically. "Are you jealous? There's no need to be… OW!" The girl slapped me across the face, deeply scratching me with her fingernails.

"Hm, I bet I know why…" The vampire holding me down said. "His blood smells good!"

"Heh, at least we won't have to worry about how it tastes before we kill you." The blonde guy said in a disgusting voice.

"P-Please, let me go…" I said quietly, getting really scared. I didn't understand. I didn't understand their jealousy, or why Ace treated me the way he did. I was so confused… "Please…!"

"You'll sure make a cute corpse." The one holding me said, and they all laughed. I felt his sharp fangs press against my skin.

"N-No! AAAH!" His teeth drove forcefully into the place that Ace had just healed. He wasn't just taking my blood, he was ripping the skin off my neck. "AAAGH!" My vision blurred and my heart and head were pounding, the vampires' laughter echoing in my skull. I really felt like… I was going to die.

All of a sudden, I felt the fangs and the arms holding me disappear. I fell to the ground, hearing muffled noises of what sounded like a fight. I shuddered, hearing deadly screams and horrific cracking noises. Then, my nearly lifeless body was being cradled in someone's arms. "Aerrow!" I heard the voice say. "Aerrow, can you hear me?! Speak to me!"

I barely have enough energy to open my eyes, and I saw a fuzzy image of ruby eyes and black hair. "A-Ace?" I whispered. I heard him respond, but I couldn't make out the words. My eyes closed, and I fainted, my freezing body barely kept warm by the vampire holding me.

^V^

Geez, that took awhile! Phew! Well, thanks for reviewing, everybody! I know I don't always answer, but I really do take them all to heart, even if they're short. Kisses and donuts for everyone!

Taru-chan


	10. 10: Favor

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 10: Favor

^V^

"Ugh…" I moaned, my eyes fluttering open. I found myself in what looked like a hospital room. I laid there in a white bed with an IV in my arm, my eyes blinded by all the white in the room. And then… I saw calming ruby eyes and black hair.

"Aerrow…" Ace sat in a chair by the bed, smiling down at me. "You're awake."

"Ace…" I smiled back. He stood up and hovered over me, placing his hand on my cheek.

"Do you remember anything that happened?" He asked me softly.

"Um, yeah… everything…" I raised my hand up and touched the place where that vampire tore my skin. There was no bandage; it was completely healed. The scratches on my face were gone, too. That could only mean that Ace healed all those places with his lips. I blushed at the thought. "How long was I out?"

"Twelve hours." He replied, taking his hand off my face. "You lost a lot of blood. You need your rest."

"Yeah." I said, still stuck on how long I've been unconscious. _Those vampires…_ I thought.

"They were very jealous, Aerrow." Ace read my thoughts. "Their minds became twisted in their envy. They went insane." He must know why they were so jealous. They wanted his attention.

"So, what happened to them?" I asked. Ace's expression became very serious.

"I… I had to kill them."

"Wha… What?!" I said, wide-eyed. "Why?!"

"They would have killed _you_." His voice was strong. "And then, they would have continued to kill others." He looked at me with hurtful eyes. "It's not against any law to execute a vampire." I looked away, surprised that someone gentle like Ace could kill anyone. But… I thought about this and… he was right in doing what he did. I've heard of vampires that go insane and can't be stopped. They could have killed others, and me… I looked back at Ace, and his eyes showed guilt, probably just for my sake.

He saved me; Ace saved my life.

"Ace…" I said. His eyes caught mine. "You… You saved me. Thank you. Thank you so much, Ace." I smiled happily for him. He smiled back, still a little heavy-hearted.

"Aerrow?" I heard a feminine voice say from behind the white curtain. A woman came through wearing a full doctor's uniform. "I'm glad to see you awake. I am the school doctor." She took out a pencil and a notepad. "Your dialysis should be complete in a few hours. You were lucky that this gentleman brought you here in time!"

"Yes…" I mumbled. "Thanks for your help, Doctor."

"Oh, don't mention it." She flicked her wrist. "Anyway, you are free to leave in that time. I suggest you ask a friend to help you back home."

"I will." I nodded. She smiled, and left my curtained-off area.

"By the way, Aerrow…" Ace said, drawing my attention back to him. "You have a very rare blood type."

"Oh yeah? What is it?"

"AB negative." He replied. "It's on the blood pouch."

"Oh." I looked up at it, seeing the blood from the pouch get transferred into my veins. "Hey, Ace?"

"Hm?"

"Um… will my blood still… taste good after this?" I asked, a little embarrassed asking that. "I mean, you know, cuz it's not my blood and…"

"Yes." He leaned down. "This blood will become yours by the time I feed again."

"Great." I smiled at him. I was glad to give my blood to this man, so I didn't want it to taste bad or anything.

"Aerrow, you have some guests!" The doctor called. "Would you like to see them?"

"Yes, please!" I answered back.

"Alright, I'll send them in! Oh…" She paused for a moment. "There's someone here for you too, Dark Ace."

"I'll be there in a moment." He stood straight up. "I'll see you shortly."

"Okay." I nodded. He disappeared around the curtain as I heard my friends noisily come inside the room.

"Ah, Piper." I heard Ace say. He was probably kissing her hand like he did before at the party.

"Hello!" She greeted him back. I heard Ace walk away into the hall.

"I told you he was a gentleman!" She hissed.

"He probably left to go barf from seeing your face! Ow!" Finn cried, obviously getting hit by her.

"Aerrow!" Junko said happily, opening the curtain. "We're so glad you're okay!" Radarr made an agreeing sound, jumping off Junko's shoulder and onto my bed.

"Yeah, I'll be out of here in a few hours." I told them. "Wait, do you know what happened to me?"

"Yeah, the rumors spread really fast." Stork said, crossing his arms. "Get ready for interviews."

"Ace saved you, didn't he?" Piper came and sat on the bed.

"Yes, he did." I looked over to the open door. "I don't think I could thank him enough."

"Maybe you could do him a favor." Finn suggested, leaning on Stork. "Like, do all his chores till winter break."

"Pfft, that still wouldn't be enough." I said. "Besides, all of his servants would be out of a job."

"How 'bout getting him a present?"

"I don't think I could afford something for him." I gazed up at the white ceiling. "Maybe… I'll just ask him what he'd like me to do for him."

"I hope that won't get you in trouble." Piper said. "You know, I was worried about all the stares you were getting, but I'm even more worried now that you got attacked." Now that Piper mentioned it, this whole situation was starting to anger me. I wasn't just worried about myself, I was worried about my friends getting involved and possibly hurt. And Ace… they'll start attacking him, too.

I didn't understand any of this. The more I thought about it, the more it pissed me off.

"So, what are you gonna do when you get out of here?" Piper snapped me out of my daze. "You gonna come back with us, or are you going with Ace?"

"I'll go with Ace." I said, not giving it a second thought. "I need to talk to him. I'll be home tonight or tomorrow, depending on Ace, I guess." He might have me stay at his place again, or so I was hoping.

"Maybe you could kiss him; that'll give him enough thanks." Finn smirked.

"I told you, it's not like that!" I snapped at him.

"Hey, whatever, man! I was just joking." He put his hands up defensively. "Sort of." I growled in frustration.

"Okay, well, maybe we should go." Piper shot Finn a mean look. "We'll see you later." She put her hand gently on my forehead.

"See ya." I replied, smiling at all of them. One at a time, they turned and left the big white room, passing Ace and his visitor in the hall. I scooted over a little so I could see who Ace was talking to.

"Snipe…" The big vampire seemed scared, twitching nervously in front of Ace. The two were talking, but I couldn't understand them. They were speaking another language, probably a language only vampires could understand. Snipe raised his voice a little, defending himself about something. Ace didn't want to hear it, and slapped him across his face. I gasped in surprise at that, watching Ace back the bigger man into the wall, threatening him. Snipe cowered, his knees shaking. When that was over, Ace turned around and walked back into the doctor's room, leaving Snipe to his thoughts.

"You saw that, didn't you?" Ace asked me calmly.

"Yeah… Was that about me?" I asked, not sure if I could. He sighed.

"Yes, it was." He said honestly. "He was irresponsible last night. I simply told him to be more aware."

"What language was that?"

"Romanian." He said proudly. "The language of vampires."

"That's cool." I said. "Hey, Ace…"

"You wish to come home with me, yes?" He must have heard me from the hallway.

"Um, yes, I…" He put his finger on my mouth.

"We will talk when we get there." Ace whispered. "Please rest some more." I nodded, and he sat back down, watching over me as I began to fall asleep.

^V^

In a few hours, my dialysis was complete. The doctor let us leave, and Ace and I were walking back to his place. It was awfully silent between the two of us for a while, because Ace was keeping a watchful eye on everyone we walked passed. "You know, Ace, you're scaring everyone with that stare of yours." I pointed out. "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about anymore."

"Someone like you can never be too careful." He said. "I'm concerned about this whole situation."

"Yeah, my friends are worried, too." I said, thinking about them.

"You have good friends, Aerrow." Ace smiled at me. I smiled back.

"They are great." I said. "Ace, do you have any friends, besides me?" He was taken aback by that question at first, then simply laughed.

"I'm afraid not."

"Well, what about Snipe? Or Ravess? Or that butler guy? I don't know his name…"

"Bruce." He told me. "They are not what I believe are friends. They are… assistants."

"Oh." I simply replied, feeling sorry for him. "Don't you ever feel lonely?"

"Not anymore." He smiled again. "I have you, now, Aerrow." Oh, wow, the way he said that was very sincere. It was kind of weird but… I was happy that I could make him feel like that. "Tell me, how did you meet your friends?"

"Oh, well…" I began. "I've known Piper all my life; her parents took me in when my parents died, so she's like my big sister. I found Radarr in our yard. He didn't come to me right away, so I had to show him I meant him no harm. I decided to keep him, and over time I realized that he was highly intelligent; he could understand English and figure out math problems! We met Junko and Finn in elementary school on the playground, though I can't remember how we became friends. It just sort of happened. We met Stork in sixth grade. Finn liked him right away, which I thought was weird since he was always flirting with girls. But, they've been together since then, so I believe they really love each other." I smiled at that. "And I love them all, too."

"That's quite a story." Ace smiled too. "You are a good friend to them, as well."

We finally made it to the big, Night Class dorm. Bruce opened the door for us, and bowed to Ace. Then, we climbed up the stairs to Ace's room. As we entered the room, I remembered why I was here. I was going to thank Ace immensely for saving my life… somehow. I took a deep breath and was about to turn around to speak, but Ace put his hands on my shoulders.

"Aerrow…" Ace said to me. "Saving you was not a chore to me. It was… my duty, as a vampire." He leaned down and whispered in my ear. "So please, there's no need to repay me for what I've done." My eyes widened when he spoke. Not repay him? How could I not? He let go of me and walked to the balcony. I turned to him, seeing his handsome face illuminated by the moon.

"But…" I went up behind him and grabbed his sleeves. "You saved my life! I really should do something for you. Anything! Please, Ace…" I gripped his shirt tighter. "I know I'm just a lowly human, but I can…"

"What are you saying?" Ace turned around to face me. The moonlight now shown around his head and shoulders like a halo. "You are not lowly in the least." He took my chin between his fingers. "Your blood is more than enough of a repayment, Aerrow." He leaned down a little, our faces closer, his eyes glittering beautifully. "Although…" Ace moved the hand on my chin to my cheek. "There is one thing you can do for me."

"What is it?" I asked, willing to do anything. But he didn't answer me right away. Instead, he threaded his fingers through my hair and locked his gaze with mine. His crimson eyes were strong, yet very alluring. I felt vulnerable in that gaze, almost like I was being pulled in by those rubies. And I was. I didn't even notice how close our faces had gotten until it was too late. His lips – his soft, gentle lips – were pressed against mine in a soothing, melting kiss.

When I realized what had happened, my body froze, my face was boiling, and my eyes were wide in surprise. What was he doing? What was _I_ doing? But, after a few moments, those thoughts were completely banished from my mind, and I found myself relax in the kiss. He ended the kiss briefly, looking at me with those eyes again. I didn't want him to stop kissing me, not yet. I arched my neck up and took his lips against mine again, putting my arms around his shoulders.

The kiss became deeper as Ace ran his long tongue across my bottom lip. I opened my mouth and let him enter and find my own tongue. I shyly pressed it against his, but since I've never kissed anyone before, his experienced tongue easily dominated mine. I moaned deeply, feeling weak and dizzy. His kiss was so powerful, so hot, so loving. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into him, our kiss seeming to last forever. This feeling… there was nothing like it. I know I sound foolish, but I believe that nothing could surpass this feeling… this feeling of Ace's lips, Ace's arms, and Ace's heart. We broke away slowly and reluctantly, our faces still close together, the two of us breathing heavily.

"A-Ace…" My eyes were foggy, my lips were swollen, and my heartbeat was rapid. Ace took my face in his hands.

"Aerrow…" Ace said. "Would you be mine?" I couldn't believe this; he was asking me to be his lover. I never went out with anyone before, let alone have asked or been asked to be someone's boyfriend.

I thought about this for a second. I knew we were both male and he was a rich vampire and I wasn't, but I don't care about reputations or anything stupid like that. What I did care about was our safety. If I was attacked and I wasn't even Ace's lover at the time, who knows what people might do to us if we were? But, I had a feeling that Ace would protect me and, even though I probably couldn't do much, I would protect him, too. He was so deep in my heart already; I looked into his eyes, and I found my answer immediately.

"Yes." I smiled a big smile. "Of course, Ace."

"Aerrow…" He pulled me in for a hug, his arms wrapping around me. "Thank you. You have made me happy."

"I'm happy too, Ace." I hugged him back, still smiling. I closed my eyes, allowing myself to melt within his warm embrace. "Really happy."

^V^

Bleh, that might've been a little corny. Usually, my pairs start with a rape or spontaneous sex, not a proposal. Ah, well. I really have no experience with asking guys out, or them asking me out, but then again, I have no experience with vampires either, so it's no excuse. BTW, I re-uploaded chapter 9, cuz I realized there were some plot farts. I fixed it, though!


	11. 11: Addict

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 11: Addict

^V^

With a combination of blood loss and being stuck on Cloud Nine, it was hard getting home. It was a little awkward when I left, too…

_Flashback_

"_Well…" My face was completely on fire after our confessions. "M-Maybe I should be g-getting home."_

"_Are you sure you don't need assistance?" Ace asked me._

"_Oh, no, no, I'm okay, thanks." I stumbled backwards, hitting my leg on a table._

"_Aerrow…" He reached out and helped me stand up straight._

"_Heh, fine! Just fine." I smiled dumbly. I walked clumsily to the door. "Well, I'll see ya, Ace!"_

"_I hope to see you soon, Aerrow." He smiled back. I felt myself giggling like a little girl on the way out._

_End Flashback_

More like _very_ awkward. I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to pull myself together before I entered my room. I shut the door behind me and sighed heavily before seeing my friends sitting on the beds, Piper included, staring at me with that suspicious look. I was a little surprised; after all, it was really late. Finn stood up and came over to me, looking at me with intent. "Wh-What?" I stuttered.

"Yep, they finally did it." Finn stated seriously. I nearly fell to the ground.

"Did what?!"

"You two kissed, didn't you?" He raised his eyebrow and put his hands on his hips.

"Wha…!" I looked at them, their faces blushing with curiosity. "H-How did you…"

"I can tell, my friend." Finn pointed his finger in my face. "I know all the signs: The hazy eyes, the swollen lips, the sweat, the stuttering…"

"Okay, okay, shut up!" I put my hand over his mouth. "It's…" I looked at them again, my face getting hot. "It's true… we did." They all gasped, looked at each other in horror, and smiled evilly. "What?" They all stood up and rushed over to me, asking me a lot of questions.

"How did it happen?"

"What was it like?"

"Are you going out?"

"Whoa, wait! Stop!" I finally shouted, putting my hands up. "I don't really know how it happened, it just did. And it was…" I blushed and smiled, thinking about our kiss. "Words can't explain it." I simply said, seeing their disappointed looks over the lack of detail.

"Well?" Finn asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, what?"

"Are you guys going out?" He repeated.

"I… uh… I guess so." I wasn't really sure if "going out" was the correct term. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to even be seen in public together, at least right now. "Listen guys, please don't tell anyone about this. I don't want anyone else to know, okay? It could be dangerous." I warned them. They looked at each other, then nodded in agreement.

"Okay, we won't tell." Piper smiled. I nodded in return, glad that they understood the situation. Like I said before, things could get hairy if the school knew about a vampire/human relationship, especially if it's the president and his feeder.

^V^

It's been a couple weeks since Ace and I have been seeing each other – privately. It wasn't anything elaborate; we still met at his place a few times a week. Sometimes he'd have a dinner prepared for me, or we would just sit on the sofa and talk, exchanging kisses in between. He wasn't rushing me into anything, but I still felt a little awkward about if we were going to take our relationship a level higher. A vampire like him – especially like him – would be really experienced and… Oh, I'm just worrying myself for no reason.

Anyway, tonight was 'feeding night' for him; it's the first time since I was attacked. When the butler… I mean Bruce, opened the door for me, he gave me a strange look, nothing threatening, just certain curiosity. He's been giving me the same stare since last week when I came here for the third time in a row. I believe he knows about Ace and me.

I made it to Ace's room and walked right in. He was sitting on the couch waiting for me. "Aerrow…" He called to me, holding out his hand. I couldn't help but smile and hurry over to him, sitting next to him and giving him a hug. He embraced me back, his hands sliding around my hips. Then, he pulled away a little to place a lingering kiss on my lips, leaving me stunned as always.

"Well… should we get right to it?" I asked, swallowing afterwards.

"Sure." He agreed. I nodded, then began unbuttoning my shirt. It was more awkward than usual, to undo my clothes in front of Ace. It was also going to be different when he would feed from me. He noticed my blushing face, and snickered, resting his hands on my shoulders. "You should lie down. It might ease the feeling of blood loss."

"Uh, okay." I did what he said and lay down, getting comfortable. Ace was now hovering over me and, very slowly, leaning down and lightly brushing the skin of my neck with his lips. I shivered.

"I'll be gentle as usual, Aerrow." He whispered before his fangs sank into my neck slowly. I hissed at the sudden pain and grabbed hold of Ace's broad shoulders. But then, the pain was gone as quickly as it came, and it was replaced with… I don't know… something else. Something that Ace didn't give me when he fed before. I actually felt… good, and happy, that I could give my blood to him. It seemed like I was addicted to this feeling… and to this vampire.

He finished, his fangs were carefully removed from my skin and he exhaled slowly. His lips then immediately covered my wound and kissed it, healing it. I let out a sigh, feeling the wound heal up quickly. Ace licked the remaining blood away and sat up carefully, looking down at me with a smile. I smiled back; however, I guess I was showing a little uncertainty in it. "What's the matter?" He asked.

"Oh, well…" I took a deep breath. "Should… should we be keeping our relationship a secret?" I paused for a second, watching his reaction. He seemed confused at first, but then he understood.

"I see… you wish to tell your friends, yes?"

"Actually, they kind of… figured it out on their own and, who knows; they might have told others…" I sat up slowly so as not to get dizzy. "What I mean is… Is our relationship, um… taboo?" Another pause.

"… No, Aerrow. It does not have to be." He replied. I let out a sigh of relief, glad that we weren't breaking any 'vampire laws' or anything. "Speaking of such things, the Seasonal Ball is coming up." He took my hand. "Would you like to join me?"

I heard about the Ball and saw posters. It's a mixer for humans and vampires. The dress is formal, and there will be a small orchestra playing ballroom music. I sure as hell didn't know how to dance ballroom style, and I didn't have anything to wear, either. But, I'm sure with Ace and my friends there, I'd have a good time.

"Alright!" I smiled. "But, I don't have a suit."

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows. "We can go shopping for one in town."

"We can? Is that okay?" It was prohibited to be off school grounds, especially for something like shopping.

"Absolutely. I have… special rights." Oh yeah, he's friends with the headmaster.

"Wow, thanks so much, Ace." I said sincerely, smiling as he lightly kissed my lips. He was so nice to me; it was almost too good to be true.

… Was it?

^V^

Okay, I'll stop there. I don't want this chapter to get too long. I'm really sorry for the long wait, but English class is a bitch. I had writer's block for a long time because of it. –Taru-chan


	12. 12: Mixer

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 12: Mixer

Warning: Lemon in this chapter.

^V^

It was refreshing to spend some time off campus with Ace. We went to the town and Ace showed me around a little before taking me to a very elaborate dress store. I tried on some suits and found the perfect fit; it was white, just like most of my uniform, but it was made of satin instead of cotton. The tie, lapel and vest were all colored a light shade of pink. Ace told me he loved it on me and purchased it right away. I felt guilty about him spending any money for me; I was never even comfortable when Piper's parents bought me things. However, I tried to forget it and focus on the great time we were having together.

My friends, as Ace and I were in town, were getting ready for the Ball, too. They all had proper outfits – even Radarr brought his little tie and vest from home. Finn and Stork would be going as a couple, of course, and Junko, Radarr and Piper would be walking in together behind them. Couples actually received formal announcements of their arrival, and they must sign up for that. Ace and I didn't have to sign up; I suppose he gets a special announcement, or, as Finn suggested, he wants to surprise everybody with our arrival. Thinking about that made me a little nervous. I hoped that things would turn out alright, and that nothing would chaotic about our… 'surprise announcement'.

^V^

"Oh man, I'm really nervous!" I muttered, fussing with my tie. Our announcement was the last one on the list, and we would be walking down a grand staircase with everybody staring up at us. This wasn't a normal promenade.

"Just relax." Ace moved my hands away from the tie, and he fixed it himself.

"But, what if…" Ace ceased my talking by placing a finger on my lips.

"I'll protect you." He said seriously, his gaze cutting through mine. I was still nervous, but I swallowed and nodded, believing him. We stayed silent while the line kept moving, the sound of the orchestra getting closer.

I used this seemingly long period of time to get a good look at Ace. He wore a basic black suit with a dark green tie, and regular black dress shoes. The only thing that really stood out on his outfit was the emerald cufflinks on his white dress shirt. His hair was just how it usually is; nothing fancy there, either. But, I liked his hair that way, and no matter what he wore, he looked regal and extremely handsome. His face was stern, and his red eyes were glowing, getting himself ready for our appearance.

Finally, it was our turn to go down the stairs. "Are you ready?" Ace asked, taking my hand in his.

"Yeah." I quietly replied.

"Night Class President Dark Ace and Aerrow." The announcer called our names. The ballroom fell dead silent as we appeared at the top of the big staircase. I swallowed again as we slowly descended together, looking at everyone's expressions. There was a mix of emotions: jealousy, surprise, awe, and hatred. I gripped Ace's hand tighter and looked up at him, seeing his angry and threatening eyes scan the room.

"Ace, please don't do that." I whispered to him. "Glaring will just make them angrier." He gave me a skeptical look. I took his arm and smiled. "Let's just try to have fun tonight, okay?" He thought for a moment, then snickered a little.

"Alright, Aerrow, as you wish." He said. We got to the bottom of the stairs, and the party slowly resumed, everyone's gaze leaving ours.

"Hey, Aerrow!" I heard Finn call my name. I turned to see him and the rest of the gang.

"Hi, guys." I smiled at them. "Oh, uh, Ace, this is Finn, Stork, Junko, and you already know Radarr and Piper." The boys waved to Ace nervously while Piper curtsied.

"It's a pleasure to meet the rest of you." Ace bowed politely. Radarr smiled and made a happy noise before jumping into Ace's arms, just like he did the first time they met.

"Radarr!" I scolded him. "You'll get your fur all over his nice suit!"

"It's alright, Aerrow." Ace said, scratching Radarr's little head. Radarr purred happily in response, and Ace snickered, finding the monkey's sounds amusing.

"This party reeks!" Finn chimed back in. "There's no rock band, no dancing, and no lampshades!"

"Finn, this is a ball, not a frat party." Piper said. "Besides, if you want that kind of party, organize one yourself!"

"Really? Is that possible?!"

"Yes, you just need to talk to the head…"

"Come on, boys!" Finn grabbed Junko and Stork and began dragging them to the benches. Radarr followed behind, as well. "We've got a party to plan." Piper and I looked at each other and shrugged.

"Oh, there are the girls." Piper saw her roommates come in. "I'll talk to you later, Aerrow, Dark Ace."

"See ya, Piper." I watched her run over to her new girlfriends. I smiled, happy to see her make female friends so she doesn't have to be stuck with us guys all the time.

"She's special to you, isn't she?" Ace asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"Hm?" I looked up at him, and saw his questioning look. "Oh, yes… she is." I smiled at him. He seemed a little wary. "I love her Ace, but like a sister. And I'm her brother." It's true; Piper and I care a lot about each other. But I don't love her _that_ way, and she doesn't either. I know, I've asked her. Besides, I even think she might be gay, too, but I haven't asked her that yet.

"A sister, eh?" Ace repeated, a light seeming to dim within his eyes.

"Ace?" I took his arm. "Are you okay?"

"… Yes, I am okay, Aerrow." He gave me a reassuring smile. "I'm happy that you two have that sibling bond." I gazed into his eyes again to see if he was telling the truth. He was… about me and Piper, at least.

"Thanks." I acknowledged. We smiled at each other. Just then, the orchestra started playing soft, slow music. I turned around and saw a bunch of couples heading for the dance floor, beginning to waltz.

"May I have this dance, Aerrow?" Ace took my hand.

"Oh, uh… I'm not exactly an expert on ballroom dancing." I said, nervous about dancing with him.

"It's alright." He whispered in an irresistible voice of his. "I'll guide you."

"Uh, okay." I said, feeling my face heat up. He smirked and led me out to the floor. He placed one of my hands on his shoulder and me took my other one, and put his other hand on my waist.

"We'll go slowly." He said. "Follow my lead." I nodded and looked down at our feet, trying to pick up the steps. After a few tries, I stepped on Ace's foot by accident.

"Oops, sorry!" I said.

"It's okay, it didn't hurt." Ace replied. "Let's keep going." After some more tries, I finally got the hang of it. "Look at me, not my feet." He told me. I obeyed him, focusing on his blood red eyes. Actually, it was a lot easier to dance that way. Soon, we were swaying together with the music. While we danced, I felt the stares of everyone else in the room, both of vampires and humans. _Don't pay them any mind._ I felt Ace penetrate my thoughts. _Let's just try to have fun tonight._ He repeated what I told him earlier this evening. I nodded, and focused harder on Ace's gaze. His eyes were so burning and intense, that after I concentrated on them, it was so easy to forget about everyone else. "Here comes the finale." He whispered in my ear. He wrapped his arm tighter around my waist and dipped me carefully. I went with it, letting my head crane and my back arch.

The music ended and Ace pulled me back up. I smiled at him, then looked around the room, seeing that we were in the middle of the floor and everybody was staring at us. Then, after a long silence, they all – very unexpectedly – began to applaud. Their smiles were weak, and still had some jealousy in their eyes, but the energetic applause was a start. Ace and I looked at each other, and I smiled a big smile, pulling him into a hug. He embraced me back, and the two of us enjoyed our little moment in the spotlight.

^V^

"Whoo, that was fun, Ace!" I said happily as we stepped into Ace's room. "Now I can take this tie off." I joked, loosening the pink tie around my neck and slipping it over my head. I slid the suit jacket over my shoulders and hung it on the coat rack. Ace was silent; he shut the door and suspiciously locked it. "So, what did you…?" I froze as I felt Ace's arms circle around my waist. The embrace was soft, but powerful at the same time. "H-huh? Ace?"

"I had fun too, Aerrow." He whispered gently in my ear. I shivered as I felt his cool breath. "But now, why don't we have some more fun?"

"W-Wha?!" I played dumb. I knew exactly what he was talking about right then. I felt my heartbeat speed up and my face flush. Then, I felt Ace's cool hand on my chest, rubbing it gently. "Ah…?" _How'd he undo my shirt so fast?_ His thumb traced the hem of my pants. I inhaled sharply, mentally getting ready for… whatever it was that was coming. Suddenly, Ace pulled away, still standing close behind me.

"But…" He said, sensing my fear. "We do not have to, if that is what you wish." I thought about that for a moment. I was a little scared but… I wanted him to keep touching me. I wanted… to be closer to him. I turned around to face him, showing him a vulnerable look, silently telling him it was okay. Our lips met softly, and soon after our tongues. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and Ace lifted me up bridal style and took me to his large bedroom.

_This was it_. I thought. _This is my first time… and probably Ace's hundredth or so…_ That thought really bummed me out. I didn't know how old Ace was, but I knew he had to have had lots of experiences with this stuff, and I was just I fifteen-year-old virgin with no experience except a B in health class. Against my control, I started shaking nervously.

"Aerrow…" Ace placed me on the large bed gently. His eyes were filled with concern. "Are you sure?" I took a deep breath and nodded. I undid the belt around my waist and slid it off, watching him take off his own tie and jacket. He carefully climbed over me and leaned down, the two of us sharing another long kiss. Then, his kisses trailed down my jaw and to my neck, to the spot where he always bit me.

"How come you only feed from only that spot?" I asked.

"I don't want to leave scars everywhere." He said in my ear, nibbling it at the same time.

"Ah… but, you heal it every time."

"Just in case." Was all he said. His skilled hands pulled my shirt apart and smoothed over my chest. His fingers found my nipples, and lightly pinched them.

"AAH!" I yelped, feeling totally helpless under him. His lips covered one of the nubs, and he flicked his long tongue across it quickly. "O-ooh…"

"You're so cute, Aerrow." He said in that deep voice of his. He moved to the other side and gave it the same treatment. My face was so hot and my brain was so busy processing all this I thought my head would explode. He moved his lips over my heart and kissed me there as he unbuttoned my pants. He looked up at me smirking, enjoying my dazed expression and moans. "So cute."

"Ace…" I whimpered. The handsome vampire above me removed his dress shirt, exposing his body to my eyes. He wasn't too muscular, but he was cut in all the right places. His skin was paler than mine, but he was so hellishly beautiful, like a demon. His eyes were glowing with lust. I blushed deeper, knowing that look was for me. Ace smirked and easily removed my shoes, pants and underwear. I felt a little shy about being exposed in front of him like this; I closed my legs as a reaction.

"Show me." He said, lightly gripping my knees. I slowly spread my legs, showing him my excited lower body. "Perfect." Ace moved between my legs and lightly grabbed my hardness. I screamed, instinctively thrusting up into his hand. "I see your shyness is diminishing." He pointed out, and began stroking me slowly.

"Haa… Ace…" I moaned out, my toes curling in my socks. It was already so much for me to handle. Ace realized this and began to hurry, taking my whole length in his mouth at once. He sucked me slowly but firmly, his expert mouth pleasuring me immensely. I looked down at him, and he was already looking at me, his red eyes giving me an intense stare. That was it. It was too much. I screamed and came in Ace's mouth. "Haa… haa… s-sorry about… that…" I apologized for coming too soon.

"It's alright, Aerrow." I watched him lick his lips. _Oh Lord…_ "I'm glad I can excite you." He moved up and captured my lips with his. I could taste my release in his mouth. "But I'm not done yet, dear boy." He said softly against my lips. I knew what was coming next though. I felt his long finger probe around my bottom hole, and he pushed it inside quickly.

"AH!" The fast intrusion caused me to wrap my arms around Ace's neck, clawing his shoulders. He began moving his finger in and out of me. I tightened up, fighting the intrusion.

"Relax, Aerrow." Ace purred, kissing my neck and shoulder to help me calm down. I did as he said and relaxed myself, getting used to his finger. As soon as I did though, he added another digit. I gripped him tighter, squirming underneath him. He added one more finger, stretching me out even more.

"Uuuuuhh…!" After a few moments, I found myself pushing against his fingers, wanting more. Ace pulled his fingers out and stood up, while I whined, feeling emptiness. He stared at me with those eyes again while undoing his pants. He grinned almost… no, definitely evilly, enjoying my splayed out, needy body and my flushed face. "A-Ace…"

"Aerrow…" He said huskily, removing his pants and briefs completely. I gasped at what I saw. "What is it?" He asked with a smirk on his face.

"It's… it's so big…" _Too big…_ There was no way something like that could fit inside me.

"Don't worry, Aerrow." Ace climbed back on the bed. "I've prepared you, and I will be gentle." He carefully positioned himself at my hole. I felt it… I felt it ready to go in. "Are you ready?"

"Yes… Ace…" I could barely say. Ace took hold of my legs and pushed the head inside. "Ah… AAAH!" I screamed in pain. I felt like I was being split in two. Tears fell out of my eyes and slid down my flushed cheeks.

"Aerrow…" Ace leaned down, kissing me tenderly. "Hold on to me." I wrapped my arms around him in a tight embrace. He pushed in some more, very slowly and gently, like he said he would be. Still, it was painful. And he was only halfway in.

"Aaaahh…" I relaxed as much as I could and let him go further. He kissed me again, our tongues clashing together. Finally, Ace was all the way inside me, and we both groaned in pain and pleasure.

"You feel so good inside Aerrow… So tight…" Ace grunted, his voice sounding different than his usual tone.

"Haa… you… feel good too, Ace." I said, gasping for air. He pulled out a little, then pushed back in, and continued to thrust in and out at a slow pace. "Oh Ace…!" I couldn't believe something like this could feel so good, and with Ace… it was beautiful. A rush went through me, my mind, heart, and body trying to comprehend everything I was feeling. I guess… no words could describe it. No wait… was what I was feeling… love? Could it be… that I'm in love with this vampire? It… it had to be. I love him. I love Ace. "Ace!"

"Aerrow… nngh…" He picked up the pace, thrusting in faster and faster.

"Ah…! Ace… I feel…"

"Aerrow, let's come together." He pushed in one last time, his body going rigid as he released himself inside me. At the exact same moment, I came too, all over our stomachs. The feeling of his release was intense. We stayed there for a moment, getting our breaths back. Ace pulled out, and came to rest beside me on the bed. "Aerrow, you were amazing."

"R-Really?" I asked, still catching my breath. He smiled and nodded. "You were, too." I said, blushing.

"Please, stay with me tonight." He sat up on his elbow so he could lean down and kiss my lips.

"Okay, Ace." I smiled, curling up next to him. He pulled the sheets over our bodies, and I could feel his eyes watching me as I drifted off to sleep.

^V^

Yay, done. This chapter, anyway. Here's the lemon everyone was dying for (especially me!) Enjoy it!!! – 3 Taru-chan


	13. 13: Angel

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 13: Angel

^V^

_He reached the end of the hallway, and then let out a muffled cry of his own…_

"_H-Huh?!" The boy saw three silhouetted figures in the living room. One of them was lifeless on the floor. The other was being held by the neck up in the air, her dead limbs flailing as if made of rubber. And the last figure, the one holding the second's neck, was someone the boy didn't know. It was the silhouette of a beast, with long claws and dark fur, and horrid, glowing eyes… eyes that caught the gaze of the scared little boy…_

"Ah!" I woke up in a fright, sitting straight up in the bed.

"Aerrow?" I heard a familiar voice say. I turned my head and saw Ace standing there at the side of his bed, looking down at me with concern. "Are you alright?"

"I-I…" I stuttered. I held my forehead, which was all sweaty. "I had that nightmare again."

"The one about your parents?" Ace asked in a serious tone.

"Y-Yes…" I remembered I told him about it. I slowly snapped out of my daze and smiled at him. "Sorry about that."

"Please, don't apologize." He said. "Actually, I had a similar nightmare."

"You had one about your parents, too?"

"Yes. Odd coincidence, isn't it?" He said in a dark tone. I didn't really know what to say; he seemed very distant all of a sudden. I knew he didn't like talking about what happened to his parents, and neither did I. But, whenever he thought about them, his expression would turn menacing, and I didn't understand why. "Well, it's all over now." Ace broke the silence. He reached out for my hand. "Come, let's shower together, Aerrow."

"Um… shower… together?" I asked, remembering what we did last night, and realizing that we were still naked. He smirked at my nervous behavior. "Uh, okay." I took his hand, letting him help he out of bed. "Ow!" I hissed, my bottom still in quite a lot of pain.

"Easy now." He coaxed, helping me stand slowly. Then, we walked together to the bathroom. Like the rest of his penthouse, the bathroom was huge: it had a wide shower, and a big tub with massage jets inside. I was surprised there was a toilet, since vampires didn't need to go to the bathroom, but I supposed he had it there for his human guests. Everything was made out of black and white marble, and it was very clean. Ace let me walk into the shower first, and then he followed, sliding the glass door shut. He turned on the water, and watched as the liquid poured down my whole body. I flipped my hair back, and wiped the water from my eyes so I could see.

"What?" I said, catching him staring.

"You are beautiful." He replied.

"Beautiful? Me?" I asked, laughing a little.

"What's so funny?"

"Ah, well… it's kinda weird to call a guy beautiful…" I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment.

"I can't help it if it is true." Ace stepped forward into the water. He too flipped his hair back after it was wetted. It was my turn to stare, my brain seeing his action in slow-motion. "You are beautiful, Aerrow. And not just your face and body…" He put his hand on my heart. "But also in there." He cupped my chin in his other hand, pulling it up so I was looking into those ruby eyes of his. "You are… an angel."

I gasped when he said that. An angel? Some of my earliest memories are of my mother calling me an angel. It's strange that Ace says the same thing. It's strange, anyway, to be called an angel. I mean, what's so special about me? I'm just an average boy with average grades and an average life, except for my relationship with Ace, which is way above average.

"Someday, Aerrow…" Ace interrupted my thoughts. "You will understand." He leaned down and kissed me tenderly.

"Uh, um… Ace…" I mumbled after the kiss.

"Hm?"

"I… uh… never mind." I refrained from saying anything. Last night, I realized that I loved Ace, but I didn't think it would be the right time to tell him, since it is still early in our relationship. Besides, he hadn't said anything like that yet, so I just thought I'd tell him later.

"Let's continue our shower, then." Ace said smiling.

"Y-Yeah…"

^V^

After we bathed together, I decided I should be heading back to my own dorm. It was getting close to midterms and I didn't want Piper to be on my ass about not studying anymore. I was still sore, so Ace offered to walk me home (the sun wouldn't be up for another hour). We held hands and along the way, people were staring, but not menacingly. I smiled inwardly, thinking that it was great that people were beginning to support us. We neared my room.

"I have to warn you, Ace, the room's a mess." I said, embarrassed about my friend's living conditions.

"I'm sure I've seen worse." Ace smiled. We stood in front of the door as I reached for my key. I found it, unlocked the door and walked in, turning on the light.

"Hey, wake up, guys." I said, seeing that they were still in bed, their eyes squinting from the sudden light.

"Huh, oh! Aerrow!" Finn jumped out of bed and ran up to me, giggling like a girl. "So, how was it, huh? Was it good?"

"Actually…" Ace came up next to me. "It was wonderful."

"Huh?" Finn saw Ace, his eyes widening. "Oh… ah… was it?" He smiled nervously. "You didn't tell me he was here!" Finn whispered harshly to me.

"Finn, you… ah, never mind." I decided not to argue. I turned to Ace. "Well, this is our room! That's my bed, over there." I pointed to the far left of the room, where mine and Radarr's space was situated. It was the cleanest part of the room; Finn and Junko's beds were absolute pig-sties, and Stork's place was surrounded with stacked papers and books. Radarr was curled up on my bed, still asleep.

"The room's very small." Ace simply commented. I guess it would be small to him.

"Nah, I'm used to it." I said. "Thanks for walking me home, Ace."

"It was my pleasure." Ace leaned down and kissed me goodbye. "Good morning, Aerrow, gentlemen." He nodded to the guys before taking his leave. Junko waved, and Stork nodded back nervously. Finn just stood there, speechless – for once.

"Heh…" I laughed at their expressions. I was feeling so good at that moment. Finally, Ace and I could have a somewhat normal high school relationship.

… Maybe, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, for things could only become stranger and more complex.

^V^

I'm pumpin' em out mutherz! Lolz. Thanks for all the reviews! Love for all! –Taru-chan


	14. Bonus: Valentine's Day

The Blood Nexus

Bonus Chapter: St. Valentine's Day

Warning: Lemon in this chapter. Chapter is a bonus cuz it has nothing to do with the main storyline, it's just one of Taru's sick, twisted fantasies w/ vampire!Dark Ace and Aerrow. This does take place after ch. 13. Please enjoy.

^V^

It's been a few months since Ace and I had been seeing each other, and the day that couples celebrated their bond was coming up – St. Valentine's Day. The thing was, I didn't know what I should get him.

When I was younger, we would always buy enough chocolate to share with the whole class. Now, it was all about _making_ your own chocolate and only giving it to the people you cared most about. Of course, I can't cook anything, but that wasn't the biggest issue.

The problem was: My lover is a vampire; therefore he does not eat chocolate.

"So?" Finn said with his mouthful of the chocolate Stork gave him. "Give it to him anyway. He'll like it, cuz you thought of him! That's what matters!"

"You don't give Stork chocolate, though." I replied. "You get him cabbage because he doesn't like chocolate."

"Oh yeah." Finn wasn't really paying attention. He just kept shoving the candy in his mouth. I just sighed, rubbing my temples.

"Why don't you just go to the Valentine stand outside?" Junko said while licking a lollipop.

"Yeah, the student council is selling all kinds of gifts, not just chocolate." Piper added. "Let's find something for him there."

"Hm… alright." I agreed. "Guess there must be something I could get for Ace."

^V^

On the way to the stand, I kept thinking miserable thoughts about my financial stance. Of course, I'm not upset about what I have, but about what I can't give Ace. He's a rich guy, and probably gets expensive gifts all the time. I couldn't afford anything like that; even if I got a job I wouldn't make as much as he has. Besides, I still feel I owe him for the suit he bought me (even though he said not to worry about it). I felt like anything I got him would be just a waste.

_He'll like it cuz you thought of him! That's what matters!_

… Maybe Finn is right, for once. Ace is so good to me; he probably would like getting something from me, even if it was chocolate.

Piper and I got to the stand, and we began looking around at the gifts. There certainly was a lot of candy, but there were also stuffed animals, jewelry, cards, and flowers. I immediately picked up five boxes of little heart-shaped chocolates for my friends; I got them those every year.

Then, it was time to search for Ace. I wasn't getting him candy, that was for sure. I skipped over the stuffed animals and jewelry, too. A card… no, that would be lame. All that was left were the flowers. It was an impressive display. All the flowers were real, and all kinds of red, white, and pink shades.

Finally, I saw red roses – the perfect choice for Ace. It was a simple bouquet; twelve roses wrapped in black plastic, and they smelled great. I bought them quickly so no one would take them before me.

"Oh, roses." Piper came to me after she was done shopping. "I'm sure he'll like those!"

"Yeah." I smiled. "Well, I'm going to head over to him now."

"Okay. Oh…" She reached into her bag. "I might as well give these to you now, since I might not see you till tomorrow." She handed me a box of chocolates she made in cooking class.

"Thanks a lot, Piper." I gave her a hug. "I got you these, as usual." I gave her the chocolates I bought her.

"Thank you." She smiled. "You want me to give the rest to the guys?" She pointed to my bag.

"Nah, I'll give it to them tomorrow."

"You think they can wait that long?" She smirked.

"They're gonna have to." I laughed. We waved goodbye to each other, and I happily made my way to Ace.

^V^

"Ace…" I let myself into his place. Ace was sitting on the loveseat, waiting for me as always. I smiled, putting the bag of candy down and keeping the roses hidden behind my back.

"Aerrow…" He said my name in that deep voice. "Happy St. Valentine's Day."

"Y-You too, Ace." I blushed. He stood and walked over to me, leaning down to press a kiss to my lips.

"What's that you got back there?" He asked while undoing my tie.

"Oh, these are for you." I pulled the flowers out of hiding.

"Aerrow, they're lovely." He smiled, a light shining in his eyes. "Thank you." Ace took them and put them in the fancy vase over the fireplace. He gave them a sniff.

"Can you smell them?" I asked, knowing that vampires keenly smell fresh blood from a mile away, but didn't know if they could smell anything else.

"Yes." He answered. "We can smell other things; it's just that the scent of blood is stronger." He turned his attention back to me. "I will take care of them later. Right now…" Ace reached behind the vase and took some item in his hand. "I'd love to give you this."

"Oh…!" I saw the Valentine's Day present he got for me. It was a white, stuffed bunny with a red bow around its neck, and it was holding a box in its paws. Ace placed the rabbit in my hands. "Ace, I love it! Thank you…" I held it up to my cheek, smiling. "It's so soft."

"Just like you." He smirked. I blushed at that comment.

"Uh, what's in here?" I asked, opening the little box. Inside there were six milk-chocolate truffles… my favorite kind of chocolate. "H-How did you know I loved these?"

"I didn't." Ace smiled. "I got lucky, I suppose."

"May I?" I took a truffle out of the box, asking if I could have one.

"Of course." He said. I took the candy out of its wrapper and popped the whole thing in my mouth. As I chewed happily on the treat, I noticed the vampire in front of me staring at my mouth.

"What?" I asked, embarrassed. I swallowed and took another truffle out of the wrapper.

"May I…" Ace grabbed the chocolate out of my hand. "Give it to you?" He asked seductively.

"Uh… I guess…" I replied, not knowing what he was thinking. He put the chocolate to my lips, and I opened them, feeling the chocolate – and his finger – slide into my mouth. I closed my lips on his finger, and he pulled it out and traced my bottom lip with it slowly. My face flushed when I looked into his ruby, lust-filled eyes. I chewed and swallowed the truffle and, as soon as I did, Ace pressed his cool lips against mine hungrily. His tongue almost immediately plunged inside, and I could taste him as well as the chocolate. "Mmm…"

"Aerrow…" He whispered in between kisses. We moved to the loveseat carefully, keeping our lips locked. He ended up on top of me, unbuttoning my uniform in one swift move.

"Oooh…" I moaned, feeling his hand slip under my undershirt. The tips of his fingers dragged down my skin until he reached my pants, which he undid as well. He pulled them off and spread my legs, leaving me completely exposed to his lusty gaze. "Ace…" I whimpered, feeling my body temperature rise quickly.

"It's my turn to have something sweet, my dear boy." He smirked. He seemed different today; he was more dominating than the first time we made love. Not that I minded, though. Seeing this side of Ace makes me feel very excited. He wasted no more time and leaned down, devouring my length whole.

"AAAH!" The pleasure hit me like a crashing wave. His mouth is so talented; Ace was sucking and licking me at the same time, his tongue occasionally swirling around the head. His cold hands caressed my thighs, and then he stopped sucking me for a moment to replace his hands with his mouth. "Ah-hah… aaaah…" I was losing my mind. It all felt so good… Ace slowly put my cock back between his lips, and I came in his mouth. "AAAGH…!"

"Mmm…" Ace swallowed all of it, and licked his lips. Jesus, I was getting hard again just by seeing him do that. "You're very sweet, Aerrow." After I caught my breath, I sat up, acting very embarrassed about what I was going to ask. "What is it?" He cupped my face in his gentle hands.

"Uh… could I…" I bit my lip, avoiding his gaze. "Could I… do that… to you?"

"Really?" Ace was surprised that I wanted to try this. He should be, since it was only my second time and I was already trying to take the initiative. But, he just smiled and said "Alright", and he sat back a little, readying himself for me. I was really nervous; I hoped I wouldn't be too bad at this.

_I just have to do what he did to me._ I thought. I got on all fours and propped myself on my elbows so that I was face to face with his crotch. I nervously undid his pants and pulled down his underwear, and his huge erection slipped out. I gulped, not knowing how I would get this thing in my mouth.

"Take your time." I heard him whisper. I gulped again and nodded, taking his length in my hand. I stroked it slowly first, then carefully put the tip between my lips. My mouth was now around the whole head. I froze there, knowing that I, unlike Ace, had a gag reflex, and also got really nervous. Ace sighed and curled his fingers in my hair.

Feeling comforted by his cool hand, I started bobbing my head up and down on him. I couldn't go down very far, but I thought I was doing pretty well. "Use your tongue, too." Ace purred to me. I obeyed and used my tongue as well as my lips to stroke him. He tasted amazing; the only word I can use to describe it was… Ace. "Now swirl it around the head…" I did. "Yes… that's good, Aerrow…"

I grew confident, hearing him grunt my name like that. I went faster, using my tongue as instructed by Ace. I decided to do something on my own, taking his sac in my hand and rubbing it. "Nnngh…!" I knew he was coming, so I removed my lips, not ready to swallow yet. I watched the white liquid shoot out of his cock, the release getting all over his uniform.

"S-Sorry about that." I said while we both caught our breaths.

"It's okay. Stains come out." Ace said, removing his hand from my hair. "That was wonderful, Aerrow."

"It was?"

"Of course." He smiled. "But, we're still not finished." He said while removing his stained shirt. I blushed again, seeing his perfect body. "Come here." I nodded, crawling up on his lap. Ace's right arm wrapped around my back and pulled me in for a deep kiss, while his left hand found my hole, and he pushed two fingers inside me.

"Mmph…" I moaned in the kiss, while Ace used that moment to shove his long tongue into my mouth. His fingers continued to slide in and out of me until he felt that I was ready. His big length replaced his fingers, and he slowly pushed me down until he was completely sheathed. "AAAH!" I screamed, throwing my arms around Ace's neck and digging my fingernails into his shoulders.

"Nnn… Aerrow…" Ace grunted, trying to control himself. I moved for him, though, pushing my hips up and down on him, finding my own pace. "Yes…" His hands ran up and down my back, then around to my front, pinching my nipples.

"Aaaah… Ace… mmm…" I rode him faster, and he pushed his hips up too, giving it a more intense feeling for both of us. He found my sweet spot, and hit it each time he pushed inside. "ACE!"

"Aerrow…" His voice triggered my orgasm, coming on his abs. He came seconds later, making me scream his name again as I felt the hot liquid inside me. I sat up and looked into his crimson eyes, finding it difficult to catch my breath. "Thank you for the sweetest Valentine's Day gift."

"You too, Ace." I smiled, embracing him again. "Happy Valentine's Day."

^V^

Why the HELL did that take me so long? Probably cuz I kept suffering from nosebleeds T.T Please enjoy this bonus chapter, OR ELSE! loljk Thanks!

- Taru-chan


	15. 14: Visit

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 14: Visit

^V^

Going over to see Ace is part of my usual routine now. And now that midterms were over, I would be able to see him a lot more. I hurried excitedly to his room as always, but when I got there I found something in his room that I was hoping to never see – a girl.

She looked about my age, but I could tell she was a vampire. Her hair was short and dark purple, and she had very pale skin, even more so than the average vampire. She had black eyeliner around her purple eyes and a beauty mark on her left cheek. She had on a simple red dress. She was sitting on the loveseat, but I could guess she was around my height, possibly a little taller. To top it off, she had a most wicked smirk on her face as she watched me walk in. Ace was standing in front of the scary girl and turned around, his features showing anger and worry.

"Oh, sorry…" I said, trying not to jump to conclusions. "I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright, Aerrow." Ace glared at the girl. "Her arrival was a surprise."

"So, this is the boy." She finally spoke, her voice sinister yet childish. She stood up from her seat and flew – yes, flew – to me, hovering over me. "He's beautifully innocent."

"Uh… nice to meet you, too?" I said, not thrilled about the invasion of my personal space.

"I'm sorry, Aerrow." Ace cut in. "This is my adopted sister, Cyclonis."

"Adopted… sister?" I queried, never recalling him talking about her.

"Yes." Cyclonis lowered herself to the floor. "His kind family adopted me after my parents were killed." She explained, not displaying remorse in her voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry…" I said, anyway. I took her hand and kissed it politely, like how Ace does with Piper. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Aerrow."

"A pleasure indeed." She replied. "I'm sure you're taking care of my big brother, just as he's taking care of you." I didn't know how to respond to that. I just nodded. "Well, I was finished visiting my dear brother, and now I must go." Cyclonis flew to the balcony. "I'll see you two lovebirds soon." She smirked evilly at me before taking off into the night sky. Ace looked out the balcony doors, making sure she was gone, and then shut the glass doors.

"I apologize for her intrusion." He sighed, looking mentally exhausted. "She's always been like that."

"It's fine." I said, a little unsure about what was going on here. "Um… I'm a little confused, though…"

"I didn't tell you about her, correct?" He sat down in the nearest chair. "Cyclonis was from a very rich, pureblood family with a dark history, of which I don't know for sure. Her parents were killed by vampire hunters, and the rest of her family was arrested. Since she was too young to be in confinement or to take charge of the family, my parents were generous enough to adopt her." I sat down next to my lover, seeing weakness in his face. "My parents told me to care for her, and so I will. She's a terrifying girl, but she has cared for me too, all these years." Ace covers his eyes with his hands and smiles. "I would do anything for her, Aerrow."

My heart skipped several beats. For the first time in my life, I felt jealousy towards someone. Ace - I mean, the Dark Ace – was the class president and pretty much in charge of this school, just from his proud and royal charisma. I always thought he could be a ruler of Atmos if he wanted to. However, he has a weakness; the one person who has the control here is Cyclonis. Yet it doesn't seem like a mutual bond. Ace looks so weak right now, thinking about her… it was making me sick.

Whoa, wait… what do I know? They've been siblings a long time, just like me and Piper, so of course they'd care for each other, right? And of course they would know each other better than anyone else. I was being selfish.

However, I didn't like seeing Ace like this. I remembered that it was almost time for him to feed, so I decided he should drink now to make him feel better. I got up and, without saying a word, climbed onto his lap and undid the first couple buttons of my shirt, exposing my neck. I saw his surprised look as I leaned down, putting my cheek on his. He sighed and took my head in his hands, tilting it so his mouth could reach my jugular vein.

"Agh…" His sharp fangs sunk into my skin. He drank my blood as gently as ever, and then carefully licked away the remainder and kissed the wound, healing it.

"Thank you, Aerrow." He whispered, kissing my neck. "And thank you for listening."

"No problem, Ace." I replied. Ace arched his neck up and kissed me in his tender way, sending shivers down my spine. I love him, and just as he would for Cyclonis, I would do anything for him.

^V^

I was afraid I'd see her again.

A couple days later, after my visit with Ace, he walked me down the stairs and to the front door, holding my hand. Bruce was about to open the big door for me, and I felt Ace's grip on my hand tighten. I looked up at him; he was sniffing the air, and his eyes were wide.

"What is it, Ace?" I asked.

"Hello, Big Brother!" We both turned around to see Cyclonis sitting on the big red couch by the stairs. She was waving at Ace in a childish way, with a grin on her face to match. She levitated herself off the couch and floated towards us. "Guess what? I'm going to be a student here, just like you! Won't this be fun, Ace?" She finished with an evil smile. I looked up at Ace with widened eyes, seeing that his were filled with surprise and anger. "Oh, and don't worry, everything is in charge at home. Well, I guess I should go unpack. I got a room close to yours, Big Brother! See you later." Cyclonis kissed him on the cheek, and then slowly floated up the staircase, enjoying all the admiring stares from the other vampires.

"That's her? That's the Dark Ace's sister?"

"She was adopted, but she is also a pureblood!"

"Wow, pureblood siblings in the same school!"

As the students gossiped around us, I felt Ace's anger disappear, only to be replaced by that weakened state again. I didn't understand what was going on here, but I do know one thing: Ace and Cyclonis' sibling relationship is not a healthy one, and Ace was the one in trouble.

^V^

Damn, sorry about that, everyone. I was stuck here in this spot, and I might be slow in the next couple chapters. I have a solid beginning and end in my head, just no middle. It might take me some time. BTW, I'd like to know how you all think it's going to end! And even when it ends, there will be a whole bunch of epilogue chapters! Let me know your thoughts, everyone! Thanks for the reviews!

-- Taru-chan


	16. 15: Tension

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 15: Tension

^V^

"She scares the crap outta me." I explained, telling my friends about Cyclonis. "And I think Ace is afraid of her, too."

"Wow, another pureblood in the same school." Piper thought out loud. "That could cause problems for everyone."

"She has more of a controlling presence than Ace." I added. "I'm scared that things might become unsafe again."

"We were safe before?" Stork asked sarcastically. I should have just rolled my eyes at Stork's comment, but I thought he was right. Ace is sort of like an… unofficial leader, really. He wasn't really in charge of the school, and neither is Cyclonis. It's just that the non-purebloods see them as leaders of their kind, and they will do anything the purebloods will tell them to do. That is where the safety issue lies.

"Maybe I should just talk to Ace about what I feel." I said. "I bet I'm worrying for nothing."

"Sounds like a good idea." Piper said, patting me on the back. I nodded, trying to think of how I would talk to Ace about my feelings.

^V^

The next night, Ace and I decided to walk around the Moon Dorm's courtyard. It was a beautiful out there; it seems like the bushes and trees were put in the right place so that they caught the moon's glow perfectly. The fountain also shimmered in the moonlight, and I could see a reflection of the moon inside the water.

"So Ace…" I began, not thinking of an easier way to ask this. "Did you find out why Cyclonis is here?"

"I have not received a definite answer." He says before looking down at my disappointed face. "You don't like her very much, do you?"

"What?! Um…" I stuttered and blushed. "Well, I just thought that…"

"It's okay, Aerrow." Ace said calmly. "I'm sure it's rare for you to dislike someone." I looked up at him and sighed.

"I'm sorry." I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment. "I'm just… worried."

"I can assure you…" Ace placed his hands on my shoulders. "Everything at the school is under control."

"Is it?" I looked up at him, his eyes reassuring his words. "Okay, I believe you."

"I'm fine too, Aerrow." He smirked at me, reading my thoughts. "The only thing that might not be fine is business at my home."

"Your home?" I repeated, suddenly curious about where he lived.

"Yes, my sister is in charge while I'm away." Ace put his hand to his chin. "And I have been away quite a long time. I've been concentrating on schoolwork…" He paused, giving me a sexy look. "And you." I blushed furiously after hearing that.

"Uh, well… maybe you could visit over spring break! It's coming up in a couple weeks." I suggested.

"Hm… that sounds like a good idea." Ace thought about it for a moment. "Would you like to come with me if I do go back home?"

"Go with you?" I asked. I really would like to see his house, or most likely his mansion, but I didn't want to interfere with his business. "Wouldn't I get in the way, though?"

"Of course not, Aerrow, and you will be safe with me." He said, taking my hands. "I'll let you think about it. I still need to speak with my sister and see if things are alright at home."

"… Okay, I'll think about it." I said. He smiled, and his seemingly sharp fangs glistened in the moonlight.

^V^

"He invited you to his house?!" Finn and Piper said in unison.

"Yeah, that doesn't sound dangerous." Stork said sarcastically.

"So, do think I should go?" I asked them while scratching Radarr's little head.

"Are you sure you'll be safe?" Junko asked.

"Of course, we'll be together all the time." I answered with confidence. "And I can take care of myself."

"Aerrow, surely there will be no one but vampires there, and I'll bet it's a pretty big house." Piper sat next to me on my bed. "And remember what happened to you that night… it could happen again, or worse…" She stopped, not wanting to think about it. She was right, but I was sure that Ace would be there to protect me if something happened.

"I'll be fine with Ace, I know it." I gave Piper my old "trust me" look. She sighed heavily.

"Alright, if you say so." She put an arm around my shoulder and smiled a weak smile.

"Be sure to bring us back souvenirs, like gold coins or severed heads." Finn joked, ruining the moment again.

"God, Finn!" Piper yelled at him for a few minutes. I didn't care about Finn's joke, because I knew he was worried, too. But they had nothing to be worried about. I'd be with Ace, and I always felt safe with him.

^V^

Back by popular demand! Enjoy the new chapter, guys! College sucks. Really sucks. BTW, Happy Halloween, now give me candeh!!! Lol. Actually, just give me reviews instead; I'm on a diet.

Heart, Taru-chan


	17. 16: Homebound

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 16: Homebound

^V^

_It was the silhouette of a beast, with long claws and dark fur, and horrid, glowing eyes… eyes that caught the gaze of the scared little boy…_

_The terrible beast growled in a low tone as he stared at the boy. The boy couldn't move; he just stood there, watching the beast with fangs come closer and closer. The beast knelt in front of the frightened redhead, and finally, they were face to face…_

I woke up startled. That dream again… Why was I having this dream again? I must just be nervous about seeing Ace's home, but then again, I don't know what that nightmare has to do with anything. I rubbed my eyes and decided to get up and get ready, since Ace and I were leaving early in the morning.

It turns out that Ace does need to check up on things on his home terra, along with his sister. Even though Cyclonis would be there, I still agreed to go, because I knew Ace would protect me, just like he said he would. I had nothing to worry about.

^V^

"Are you sure you have everything? Shampoo, snacks, underwear…" Piper listed as we all stood at the entrance gate of the school.

"Yes, I got everything." I rolled my eyes at the underwear part.

"You should probably pack cereal and a whole week's worth of air-chili." Finn added.

"Ace said I don't have to worry about food. He has a chef for his human guests." I said, putting on my coat.

"Or his friends could just eat you instead." Stork said, always knowing how to lighten the mood. Radarr growled and lightly bit Stork's leg, frightening him. He screamed and jumped into Finn's arms. Radarr and I laughed.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Piper reached behind her back and pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Take this with you, you know, just in case." She handed it to me while giving me a worried look.

"I'm going to be fine, guys. Ace will be with me." I assured them, putting the walkie-talkie in my bag.

"I know, but I just have a bad feeling." Piper shrugged. I put my hands on her shoulders.

"I'll be fine." I repeated, giving her a reassuring smile. She sighed and bought it, giving me a hug.

"Just keep it with you at all times, okay?" She said in my ear.

"Jeez… alright." I said, letting her go.

"Here he comes!" Junko pointed down the path. We heard a motor becoming louder as it got closer. Suddenly, a skimmer zoomed past us, circled around and screeched to a halt in front of us, kicking up dust. When it cleared, we saw Ace stepping off the skimmer and waving to us.

"Whoa." We all said in unison.

"Hello, everyone." Ace smiled and bowed his head. "Are you ready to go, Aerrow?"

"Uh, yeah!" I grabbed my bags.

"Oh, please, let me get those." Ace took my bags and put them in the small trunk of his skimmer.

"Thanks." I said to Ace, then turned to my friends. "Bye, guys. See you in a week!" They said their goodbyes collectively. Ace got on the skimmer and started the engine. I hopped on behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist. I smiled at my friends, and they waved to us as Ace pulled out the wings and we took off, flying into the dark morning.

^V^

It certainly is quiet at four in the morning, but then again we were flying over hilly terras with no one living on them. It was peaceful, though; the air was fresh and the sky was still dark. The Moon was in a crescent phase, so there wasn't so much moonlight this morning.

"There will be a new moon in a day or two." Ace said, knowing what I was thinking. "Then there will be no moonlight."

"Good thing we're flying tonight, then." I said, and we snickered. I then thought about what his house will be like. I wonder if it's as big and scary as I think it is.

^V^

It was bigger and scarier than I thought. It wasn't a house or a mansion… it was a castle. "You live in a castle?!" I asked in a shocked tone. From what I saw in the aerial view we were in, it wasn't a tall and pointy castle like what I see in movies, but it was wide and circular. The terra was huge; there were rivers and forests as far as the eye could see. It was still dark, of course, so it made everything look medieval.

"Yes. Surprised?" Ace said casually.

"Um, a little…" I mumbled sarcastically. He laughed as we landed, coming to a stop in front of the castle entryway and stepping off the skimmer. Two lines of what seemed like soldiers ran out from behind the huge doors and stopped, saluting Ace with their fists to their chests.

But what they said really took me by surprise, even more so than the huge castle: "Welcome home, Prince Ace, sir!"

I turned to him slowly, my jaw getting lower to the ground as I did. He wasn't paying attention to me; he just saluted the soldiers in return. "Thank you." He simply replied.

"Y-You are a _prince_?!" I squeaked out, completely shocked out of my mind.

"Yes." He answered me again, smiling obliviously. "Perhaps I forgot to mention?"

"How come you didn't tell me?!" I asked. I wasn't mad, just curious as to why he'd leave such an important detail out of our time together. I did remember Finn mentioning a rumor about him being royalty, but I thought it was just a rumor.

"I didn't wish to add more pressure on you." He explained. "I knew you were always wary of others about our relationship. Telling you this would have made you worry more." He cupped my chin in his hand. "But now, I think you are ready to handle it. Is that alright?"

"Yeah…" I said truthfully. "I understand. But I'm still surprised."

"I'm sure." Ace smiled, taking my hand. "Let's go inside."

"Okay." I smiled back.

^V^

The two of us went through the huge doors and a "small" hallway before entering the throne room. It was very impressive; long red carpet walkway leading to hand-carved solid gold thrones, many shiny weapons on the walls, and suits of armor with flags in the corners. The only thing that wasn't impressive was Cyclonis, who was sitting proudly in one of the thrones.

"Hello, Big Brother, Aerrow." She smiled coyly. "I hope you enjoy your vacation."

"Thank you." I said simply but politely. Ace took my arm and began to lead me into the next hallway.

"Don't forget, dear brother…" Cyclonis stopped him. "We have business to take care of, so don't have too much fun." That last part was soured.

"Of course, Cyclonis." Ace said monotonously. He gripped my arm tighter and we walked to the next room, my head swimming in curiosity as to what the "business" actually was. I decided not to ask, thinking that it is a personal matter for family only.

After walking through many hallways, we finally reached Ace's bedroom. "Holy crap…" I said in awe. The room was much bigger than his penthouse at the school. Everything was Victorian-style: the intricately painted walls, the wine-colored and patterned carpet, the furniture, and the giant bed with a royal canopy and black curtains. "This is the biggest bedroom ever."

"I don't think so." Ace snickered, closing the door behind him. "I've seen bigger."

"You could fit four of my bedrooms in here." I said, still looking around like I was a kid in a museum.

"Really?" He seemed surprised. "I couldn't imagine living in such humble conditions."

"Yeah, but… I'm thankful I have a room, and it's the perfect size for me." I smiled at him. He slowly smiled back. "Can I sit down?" I asked, gesturing to the bed.

"Of course." Ace nodded. I put my bags on the floor next to the nightstand and carefully climbed on the bed, sitting down on the furry, black bedspread. Ace sat next to me, the two of us shoulder to shoulder.

"So, where am I going to stay?" I asked.

"Here, with me." He replied. "I wish to keep an eye on you at all times."

"Okay, I understand." I thought about Cyclonis. "Do you have a bathroom in here, with a toilet and all?" I changed the subject.

"Yes, through that door." Ace used his thumb to point behind him.

"Why do you have a toilet, by the way?" I asked.

"Vampires do get sick sometimes, Aerrow."

"Oh." I cringed, thinking of vampire barf.

"And I'm very sick, Aerrow." Ace leaned in to me, taking my face in his gentle hands. "And you seem to be the cause."

"Huh?" I said before Ace pressed his lips against mine. I understood what he was saying, and I smiled in the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling us down on the bed. We continued kissing for a few more moments before Ace eagerly pulled my pants off. I shivered from the cold air touching my lower regions. I saw a lustful gleam in Ace's blood-red eyes as he leaned down and took me in his warm mouth. "Ah! Ace…"

"Mmm…" Ace responded with a vibrating moan. He wasn't wasting any time, spreading my cheeks apart and slipping two fingers inside me, prepping me and pleasuring me at the same time.

"Oh God…" I moaned loudly as I reached up to thread my fingers through Ace's thick, black hair. He added another finger and used his tongue forcefully, occasionally – gently – using his fangs to scrape against my skin. "Nngh… Ace, I'm getting close…"

"Hang on." He said, coming back up to kiss me passionately while undoing his own pants. When he was done, he carefully switched our positions so I was on top. "Ride me." He whispered. "I want a good view." I blushed hearing him talk like that, but I obeyed, sitting up and leveling myself over his member before impaling myself slowly.

"Ah-hah…" It has been a while since Ace and I did this, so my body wasn't so used to it. Tears welled up in my eyes as I pushed myself down all the way on his big cock.

"Aerrow…" Ace grunted out, gripping my hips roughly. His glazed eyes met my own and I blushed harder, the two of starting to move together in a steady rhythm. "So beautiful…" He thrust his hips up faster and harder, finding that sensitive spot inside me.

"Ace!" I cried, my voice echoing off the walls. He then took my member in his hand and stroked it, and I looked into those lustful rubies one more time before releasing in his hand. I screamed his name again when he came inside me a second later. I collapsed on top of him, and we laid there for a while, our breath returning and our bodies cooling. I rolled over so I was next to him on the bed, wrapping my arm across his broad chest. I looked up at him, and he smiled as if he was in a daze, gently touching my face with his hand. "You're giving me that look again." I said.

"What look?" Ace asked, still smiling.

"Remember when we showered together after our… first time?" I paused there as I thought about our first time doing this, heat welling up in my cheeks.

"Yes?" He prodded.

"And… you called me an angel?" I continued, and he nodded. "That look." He smirked and made an agreeing sound, still caressing my face and hair. "You know, when you said that, I remembered my mother calling me that when I was a baby." Ace stopped playing with my hair; his eyes seem to have gotten darker, yet surprised. "Weird, huh?"

"Well, not necessarily, Aerrow." He said, his eyes returning to their normal glow.

"I mean, what's so special about me, huh? I'm just… an average teenager."

"Aerrow, I said you would find out what makes you beautiful, yes?" Ace asked, sitting up. I nodded, remembering him saying that in the shower. "You _will_ understand." I nodded again, but my face was showing skepticism. Ace sighed, but then smirked suddenly like he'd just gotten an idea. "Come with me. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

^V^

"So, who is it?" I asked, the two of us standing in front of a very elaborately designed and bejeweled door.

"A friend of the family." He said simply, knocking on the door. Almost as soon as he finished knocking, the door opened slowly, however no one was there to open it. "Come on." Ace smiled, gesturing me inside the strange room. The walls were covered in overly full bookshelves, candles were the only things lighting the room, and the place reeked of incense. Finally, I saw an old man with a long black beard and a robe sitting in a big chair, reading a book on a lectern. In front of the lectern was what seemed like a magic cauldron, which was emitting smoke from the top. "Good morning, Vladimus." Ace said politely to the old man.

_This all seems like a big cliché._ I thought.

"I can assure you, none of the stories are true, my boy." Vladimus said in a grizzly voice, reading my thoughts without even looking at me. I was startled, and I heard Ace snickering at me. "I apologize, Aerrow. Good morning to the both of you." I was still surprised, since he also knew my name. "Actually, Ace told me all about you in his messages." He said, reading my mind again. He stood from his chair and closed his book, slowly walking over to us. "So, this is the boy, eh?"

"It is." Ace nodded. "Aerrow, this is Vladimus. He's a renowned scholar, magician, and seer, and has been with our family since the beginning."

"Please, don't flaunt my age." Vladimus sarcastically said.

"It's… nice to meet you." I bowed, happy that Ace talks to others about me.

"Likewise." He simply said. "Now, let me have a look at you." He takes my chin and prods my head up so he could look in my eyes. "You're quite a humble young man, aren't you?" I shrugged my shoulders. "Having such a quality is part of what makes you special, indeed… but there is much more than that."

"Like what?" I asked.

"You have a destiny, Aerrow." He concluded, letting go of my chin.

"A destiny? What is it?!" I was really curious now.

"I will not tell you anything else… you will find out soon enough." Vladimus went to sit down in his chair. I sighed but smiled, understanding that he can't tell me everything about my future. Ace came up behind me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

"Thank you, Vladimus." Ace said. "We'll be going, now."

"Thank you." I repeated, bowing my head. We both turned around to leave.

"Ace." Vladimus said rather sternly. We turned our heads to face him. "I wish to speak with you later."

"Of course." Ace said after a slight pause. I saw guilt pass through Ace's eyes for a moment.

"Thanks for stopping by, boys." The old man waved, then opened his book and continued to read. Ace and I left the room, gently closing the door behind us, and walked back to Ace's bedroom.

"Are you in trouble or something?" I asked on the way.

"With him, I always seem to be." He smiled at me. "I'm sure it's nothing." I suddenly got a bad feeling in my chest after he said that. I then remembered that Piper said she had a bad feeling, too. I thought once again that it might be nothing to worry about… then again, maybe I _should_ have that walkie-talkie on me at all times.

^V^

Done this chapter! Merry Christmas!


	18. 17: Nightmare

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 17: Nightmare

^V^

_The beast knelt in front of the frightened redhead, and finally, they were face to face…_

_The beast and the child's eyes met, one's filled with bloodlust and the other's with fear. The boy could not make a sound, he could only tremble and stare into those eyes before him. The beast let out a deep growl and quickly raised his clawed hands to either side of the boy's head, attempting to grab him._

_But something stopped the creature from taking that kid's little head and ripping it off. For some reason, the beast froze there, its eyes becoming softer and less bedeviled. The boy seemed to notice and calmed a little, showing some curiosity towards this creature._

_Suddenly, sirens and red and blue lights approached the house, and in an instant, the beast was gone, leaving the boy and the bodies of his parents. The child, upon seeing the blood, the flashing lights and hearing the loud sirens, couldn't take it and collapsed to the ground and cried, his tears mixing with the blood on the floor._

"Ah!" I woke up in a fright, sitting straight up in the bed like I usually do after having that dream, but today it was different. I was sweating profusely, tears streaked down by face, and my heart ached. _It hadn't been this bad since I was little._ I thought. I took some deep breaths, calming myself down. Looking around, I remembered where I was, and looked to the other side of the bed to see if I'd woken Ace. He wasn't there, but he left a note on the pillow, saying that he went to a meeting with Cyclonis and a few others, and he'd be back as soon as he could. It also said to not leave the room for safety reasons and to make myself comfortable here. I understood and nodded to myself, then decided to get up and take a shower to wash away the sweat.

I stepped into the shower and turned on the water, letting the cool liquid soak my body. As I continued to wash, I once again thought about this family problem Ace and Cyclonis had going on. Maybe a relative was dying – no, that can't be right; vampires don't die of old age. It could be financial or political problems, since I just found out Ace is a freaking prince. Man, who knew I'd fall in love with a prince? It's like a fairytale, a twisted fairytale because he's also a vampire.

Thinking of that, I remembered the note that Ace left me, realizing it just had his name signed at the bottom – no "Love", no heart, just his name. I didn't read too much into it, I mean, that stuff just isn't his style. I just wondered why I haven't told him my feelings. Maybe Ace read my mind and he knows them already… but does he love me? Maybe today will be the day I tell him? How would I say it? What would he do?

I finished up my shower and dried myself off with my own towel, then putting on some nice jeans and a white, buttoned-down shirt. I put the walkie-talkie in my pocket just to be safe, remembering that bad feeling I had yesterday. I stretched a little, looking around the room and seeing that Ace didn't have any forms of entertainment, except for some huge, old books on the shelf in the corner. I sighed and decided to take a look.

Looking at the spines of the books I saw that Ace seems to have a lot of human anatomy books (he did mention to me that he was interested in anatomy). However, one book took to my interest. I pulled it out carefully, and dust came flying off the book and into my face. After hacking for a few moments, I looked down to see the title of the book, _Vampir Era_, in fancy, Victorian-style letters. I opened the cover and the copyright date was about ten years ago. _It seemed older than that_. I thought.

I read the table of contents, finding this to be nothing more than a history book for vampires: chapter one was about Lilith, chapter two about her marriage to Adam, etcetera. However, the last few chapters on the page were marked heavily with pen: Chapter 24, Vampire Hunters, and Chapter 25, Hunters Destroyed.

I read a little about vampire hunters before; they were a human society created to kill evil vampires only, but much of their history isn't very clear. I'm sure this book has everything you'd ever want to know about them, so I turned the pages to get to chapter 24 and started skimming over it.

According to the book, vampires were friends with these humans for many years, until some new, malignant tyrants were in charge and ordered the hunters to kill every vampire they see instead of just the bad ones. Obviously, this needed to be stopped, and to stop it the vampire hunters were all killed, and the process is explained in the next chapter. I turned a couple of pages to get to chapter 25.

A part of me wishes I never opened this book after what I read next. The book said: "A lone vampire took care of every single hunter and their families, including the ones who plotted the murder of his parents, the rulers of the vampires of this quadrant, King Ajax II and Queen Iren. The brave vampire, of course, is Prince Ace, a young, new ruler who did a great deed to vampires everywhere."

"Ace?!" I thought out loud, my eyes getting wide with fear. "Ace killed all those people?!" I turned the page to find out what happened next, but when I did, a photo fell out of the book and onto the floor. I put the book down and bent over to pick up the picture.

I realized that the photo was covered in old, crusty blood, so it was hard to see who was in it. There were four people, all smiling, and I recognized two of them right away. "Ace's parents." The other two were harder to see; not only was their side bloodier, but it was crinkly and faded. I looked closer, remembering their smiles, their hair, and their eyes. "No…" I looked on the back to see if there were names…

My parents' names.

I put the pieces together in my head. The blood, the book, Ace's words, his glowing eyes… those eyes I saw that night… that horrible night… were his. "No…" I repeated quietly, shaking uncontrollably.

"I haven't opened that book in fifteen years."

"AGH!" I jumped and turned around quickly, banging myself against the bookshelf. Ace stood there, his arms crossed; his eyes still and locked in my scared ones… just like that night.

"So now you know the truth." Ace took a step towards me. I tried backing up, but I just ran into the shelf once more.

"Ace, you…" My voice shook. "It was you…?"

"Aerrow let me explain." Ace said in a bittersweet voice, holding his arms out to me.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" I screamed and bolted to the door and ran as fast as I could down the hallway, trying to get as far away from that monster as possible. He didn't chase after me, nor was anyone else; he just let me run; run until I couldn't run anymore.

^V^

I stopped, out of breath and sweating. I found that I ran outside to a courtyard in the middle of the palace. There was nowhere decent to hide; I collapsed next to a big angel statue. I hugged my legs to my chest and cried in my knees, trying to process this unbelievable situation.

He killed my parents. He led me on all this time, first telling me he never met me, and then asking me to be his lover… I had _sex_ with the person – no, vampire – who murdered my family! But there was a reason he did, because they killed his own parents. Although that book might be a little biased, I believed that what the hunters were doing was true. Ace saved the vampire race and got his revenge.

So then this means that my parents were vampire hunters. I never knew that, and I'm sure my foster parents knew but didn't tell me. What did this mean, then? Were they aware of the hunter leader's plan, or maybe they were made to believe that all vampires are bad? Did Ace's parents really do something wrong? I slowly stopped crying, wiping my eyes with my shirt.

"Found you." My head shot up in surprise, seeing none other than Ace. I chose not to run, knowing very well that it is impossible to outrun even the slowest vampire. I looked away, not wanting to peer into the eyes of the thing that ruined me and made me fall in love with him. "I wish to speak with you, Aerrow." I said nothing and just kept staring ahead. Ace sat down in front of the statue's pedestal, leaning against it.

"Aerrow, your parents were very good vampire hunters. In fact, they were a couple of the best. The most tragic thing, however, is that your parents and mine were great friends." I finally looked at him, intrigued by that last statement. "That picture you saw was taken only a month before the chaos." He sighed, not really wanting to remember these events. "My parents were fine rulers and gave nothing but love to give to the quadrant… and they get slaughtered for it by their best friends. I was weak, Aerrow. Cyclonis supported me, gave me strength and courage to exact revenge.

"It all seemed like a glorious victory. I bathed in the blood of all those humans, and saving the best for last. But little did I know… my worst enemies had a three-year-old son." Ace looked at me, showing me strangely innocent eyes. "I thought I would kill him too. I stared at the boy and reached out to tear his new flesh with my claws… but I stopped. Those eyes – those strong green eyes – pierced through my heart." He moved closer to me. "_You_ stopped me that day, boy. _You_ broke my blood-stained trance. Aerrow, you have a power passed down from generations of hunters… you can see our feelings, and work through our minds to see the truth. We call it… 'Heart Vision'."

"… Heart Vision?" I finally spoke to him.

"Yes. I could not kill you that night." He reached out to me in a loving way, but his voice and eyes were dark. "But now it is the perfect time."

"Wh-What?" I asked, clearly scared and confused.

"Cyclonis and I need a sacrifice for tomorrow." He grabbed my arm and pulled me up roughly, smiling evilly at me. "Who better to use than the last living descendent of the hunters?" Suddenly, two guards appeared and took my arms.

"No, stop it, Ace!" I tried to pull free, but these guys were way too strong. "Ace, don't do this to me!"

"Get the bitch out of my sight." Ace ordered the guards. We turned around and headed for the door as I kicked and screamed all the way to the dungeon.

^V^

Happy Holidays everyone! Getting closer to the end! I have a lot of time now to write, so hopefully I'll be pumping out more chapters. Loves!


	19. 18: Weakened

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 18: Weakened

Warning: Violence and rape.

^V^

The guards threw me in a dungeon cell, quickly shutting the gate before I could run through. I grabbed the bars, hopelessly pulling at them and screaming, demanding to see Ace. The guards walked away, ignoring me. After about ten minutes, I decided to give up, dropping to my knees in exhaustion.

I looked around the cell, seeing lots of dried blood on the walls. Along the back wall was an uncomfortable-looking bed with handcuffs attached to the headboard. I shuddered, not just because it was cold, but because I knew what the cuffs were there for.

I had so many questions running through my head. If my parents and Ace's parents were friends, then why would my parents even consider killing them? Were they understanding of the new hunters in charge's plan, or were they tricked? Where could I find an honest answer? What is Cyclonis planning on doing after this "ritual"? What will happen to Ace? How am I going to get out of here? Piper… I still have the walky-talky in my pocket – no. I can't call my friends and get them into this. There is no help for me… unless I can talk Ace out of this.

"Do you think you can?" I heard Ace's dark voice behind me. I sprang to my feet to face him from behind the bars, once again pulling at them.

"Ace!" I said breathlessly, trying to smile.

"I kind of feel sorry for you." He said, leaning down. "But, at the same time, I love seeing you suffer." He grinned. "I can't wait to end it tomorrow."

At that moment, I looked into his eyes. They were menacing on the outside, but as I looked deeper, I saw the truth. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to hurt me. He cares for me. I can see it. "What?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You're lying." I told him sternly.

"Excuse me?" Ace asked again, his face still but his eyes showing fear.

"You're lying to me!" I shouted. "You said I have a power, right? Well I'm using it now! You're lying!"

"You are wrong, Aerrow." Ace showed me his fangs like the predator he is. "We have been planning this since the beginning – the day I saw you again at the academy! I've been wanting to taint those annoyingly pure green eyes and drain the disgusting hunter blood out of your little body for a long time, and now I'll finally have the chance tomorrow morning! But, before then…" He took out the key to the cell and opened the door slowly. I backed away from him, tears coming to my eyes. "I thought I'd share one last intimate moment with you. That is all you were good for anyway."

"Ace, how can you say that to me?" I fought back the tears as best as I could, inching closer to the bed. "You don't have to do this."

"But I do. Once the ceremony is complete, I will be the most powerful vampire alive, and I shall serve Cyclonis in her quest to rule over the Atmos and beyond!"

"Please, Ace…"

"How can you still call out my name like that?" He snarled, getting closer. "I killed your family, and now I am about to kill you!"

"No, you are not that monster! Not anymore! You're different now!" I tripped and fell on top of the bed, and Ace dashed to cuff my wrists to the bed, preventing me from getting up.

"I'm no different than I was then." Black and red clouds swirled around him. "See?" Ace's voice sounded possessed as he disappeared under the clouds, then reappeared into the form of that bat-like beast that I saw when I was three years old. My eyes went wide in fear.

"NO! STOP IT!" I thrashed about on the bed, until Ace slapped me across the face, leaving scratches. I winced in pain.

"Silence! I've had enough of your mouth." He leaned down and devoured my mouth with his. For some reason, I kissed back, even though I could now taste blood. "You are a fool, Aerrow."

"And you are a liar." I insisted, getting me another slap in the face, bruising the spot he hit before. I coughed and spit out blood. He snickered, showing me his fangs again before he reached down and bit me, this time taking less blood than usual, probably because he was going to torture me longer. I decided to stay still, knowing that fighting back was not a good idea.

"Now you're letting me? This will be easier than I had hoped." He smirked, amused by my glare.

"I don't care what you do."

"Very well, I shall have my way, then." He grabbed my shirt and tore it open, the buttons flying in different directions. Immediately after, he quickly took off my sneakers and pants off at the same time, saving my underwear for last. I winced and closed my eyes, embarrassed by my betraying lower half. "Already starting to get hard?" He acted surprised. "You like this, don't you?"

"I can't help it." I said, my eyes still closed. "It's just… you."

"I'm flattered." He said in my ear. "Allow me to reiterate your feelings."

"AGH!" I felt his long, sharp nail pierce through the skin on my chest. He continued to slice, slowly and carefully, as if he was writing something. I screamed each time the nail entered and left my body. He made his last cut, forcefully pulling his fingernail out of my skin. I shuddered and looked down, seeing a word written on my chest.

"MINE." He read the word out loud. I looked at him in sheer disbelief and fear, my eyes overflowing with silent tears. "Hm, I seem to have made a mess." He referred to the blood trickling from the letters. He leaned down and began to lick the blood away with his rough serpent-like tongue, his now giant hands gripping around the small of my back, once again clawing at my skin.

"St-Stop… ungh…" I was finding it hard to speak, my brain functioning on the constant pain Ace inflicted on me. It wasn't just my body – it was my heart as well. My length was fully hardened now, and my body covered with cuts, bruises, and bites. Ace gently took my length and stroked it a few times, and then running his fingernails up it to the tip. "AAH!"

"What a reaction." He grunted, looking at me up and down slowly. "What would happen if I did this?" His face was right next to my member. He took it in his mouth and slid his lips down halfway. I gasped as I felt his fangs fasten around me. I knew what he was going to do.

"Oh God, no!" I pushed out a plea. He looked up at me with his glowing red eyes and smiled evilly before sinking his fangs into my dick. "YAAAAAAH!" Ace let go to let me see the holes punctured there, though I could barely see with tears in my eyes. He put his mouth around me again, healing the wounds. I supposed he didn't want me to bleed to death before the ceremony.

"Enough games." He sat up and undid his pants, revealing an unsurprisingly excited member. However, it was even bigger than it was before. Ace opened my legs and positioned himself in between. He wasn't going to prepare me, or even himself, he was just going to…

"No, wait!" It was too late. Ace roughly pushed in, his cock completely inside me in one thrust. It hurt so bad that a scream couldn't find its way out of my lungs, and my eyes nearly jumped from their sockets. Ace didn't wait there very long (even though I could see he was in pain too) and began to fuck me, very hard and very fast. His hands pulled me to him, those nails leaving cuts on my hips. It hurt so much: my body, Ace's eyes, his form, my heart… I couldn't handle it anymore.

Ace climaxed, and I fell unconscious, the last thing I see is his glowing, dishonest eyes.

^V^

I woke up maybe a couple hours later, slowly recalling everything that happened. With my dizzied vision I looked for Ace, but he was not here. I sat up very slowly, looking down at my body. Ace healed most everything completely except the word on my chest, which was not bleeding anymore but still visible. My bottom didn't hurt either, but the blood and a blood stain on the bed remained. I sighed and used the sheets to wipe off the dried blood from myself as best I could. I felt dizzy again and laid myself down on the pillow.

I once again thought of my friends. Should I call, and what will Ace do about them? I didn't even want to think about it. Then, as if on cue, I heard the walkie-talkie that was still in my pants make static sounds before hearing, "Aerrow? Aerrow, you there?" I rolled out of bed and crawled over to my pants, taking the walkie-talkie out of the pocket and pressing the button.

"Hi, Piper." I weakly said, inching my way to the wall and sitting against it.

"Aerrow!" She cried from the other end. "It's me, and the guys are here, too."

"Shh!" I said. "There might be guards down here."

"What? What's happened to you?"

"You were right." I said, proceeding to tell them the whole story.

"Aerrow, no…" Was how Piper responded.

"I don't know what to do; Ace won't listen to me." I sighed. "You believe me right, about Ace?"

"Of course, Aerrow. You have had that power all your life, and Ace is very kind. If Radarr could warm up to him so easily, then he's not evil at all." I heard Radarr respond, and I laughed.

"What's going to happen to me, to the world?" A long pause happened between us.

"Aerrow, we're coming over there."

"What?! No!" I whispered loudly. "What could you do? They're vampires! You'd just get captured, or worse!" I took a deep breath. "What I'd like you to do for me is to try and find a book in the library on vampire hunters, and tell me anything you found that could help." Another pause.

"Alright, we'll tell you." Piper said. "When we get there."

"No! PIPER! NO!" Too late, she wouldn't answer. "Shit!" I cursed, throwing the device to the other side of the room, listening to it shatter. The last thing I need is for my best friends to die at my expense.

^V^

Done this chapter. I hope no one felt sick during the rape scene. I enjoyed all the surprised responses I got from the last chapter, and I can't wait for more reviews!


	20. 19: Trapped

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 19: Trapped

^V^

"Aerrow!" I heard Junko's loud voice outside my cell. I looked up and saw my friends standing there with a couple guards holding their shoulders.

"Ah, you guys know each other, huh?" One of the guards said. "Good, you'll have someone to talk to before the big moment!" The guards laughed, throwing my friends into the cell across from mine. They left, cackling down the hallway.

"Why did you guys do this?!" I yelled at them, sitting on my knees and gripping the bars tightly. "You should know you're no match for vampires!"

"We tried sneaking in, you know." Finn crossed his arms. "Besides, it was Radarr's fault; he sneezed, giving us away!"

"Forget it." I slumped against the wall, not having the strength to argue because of blood loss. "I'm happy you guys are alive."

"Will we be for long?" Stork hugged his knees to his chest.

"I don't know." I shook my head. "I hope they don't… make you watch."

"Aerrow, stop talking like that." Piper said. "You can still win."

"How?" I looked at her in despair. "They're vampires, Piper. You can't outsmart them, outmuscle them, or outrun them. And Ace… doesn't listen to me. He listens to his 'sister'." I sighed, changing the subject. "Did you find anything out about vampire hunters?"

"No." Piper looked at the ground in disappointment. "The library doesn't have a single book about them. The vampires probably had them banned." She looked up at me again. "But I did find out a little about this ceremony. Ace is going to be transformed into the ultimate vampire. No one could ever kill him, and he will have all his powers increased to the max. However, he has to pay a price."

"What is that?" I asked.

"His brain." Finn chimed in. "Cyclonis is going to have a powerful puppet."

"He won't be able to control his mind by himself, so Cyclonis is going to control his life." Piper explained.

"Just like she's doing already." I said, my voice full of hatred I didn't know I had. "There's nothing we can do."

"Well, why would you want to do anything?" Finn asked, not trying to sound mean, just making a point. "If someone did all that to me, I would never forgive them."

"I know." I thought about Ace. "I'm stupid… I shouldn't forgive him, and I should hate him and want him to die, but…" I wiped tears from my eyes, surprised I had any left. I took a deep breath and said: "I love him." Their heads all shot up at the same time, their eyes wide with shock. I never said that out loud to anyone before. "I love him. I love him so much, and I shouldn't but… I…" I couldn't hold it in anymore, and started to cry, not caring how much of a wuss I looked like in front of my friends. Other than my crying, it was silent for a while, and then I saw Piper smile.

"Then that's how you'll win." She said. I gave her a confused look. "Your love will beat them." I still didn't quite understand, but I nodded and smiled back, wiping away drying tears with my white shirt. Maybe in love there is hope.

"Time's up, hunter kid." The guards came and opened my cell door, pulling me on my feet. I saw one of them open my friends' cell, too.

"Wait, please don't take them to see this, let them go!"

"Sorry, brat. Prince's orders." They laughed like they did earlier, dragging us along the dungeon hallway to their leaders.

^V^

I grunted as the soldiers pushed me down to my knees. They didn't tie me up or anything, knowing that I couldn't escape no matter what. My friends stood near, being watched by a couple of guards. Ace and Cyclonis stood a several yards in front of me, looking at a glowing red crystal on an altar. We were all in the throne room; however, the thrones had been moved to make room for the big crystal. They turned to glare at me, Ace walking towards me with a big grin on his face.

"Here we are." He simply said, crouching down so we were eye to eye. "Everything's finished. All we need now is a beautiful sacrifice."

"Don't make my friends watch this." I pleaded.

"So noble. However, you should enjoy their company while you have the time." Ace reached out and stroked my hair a bit before saying. "I am ready, sister."

"Then let us get started." Cyclonis purred. She waved her staff and began to chant in a different language, possibly Romanian. The crystal glowed brighter, beginning to emit some strange energy. She finished her chant, and raised the staff high in the air, an energy beam shooting out of the crystal and hitting Ace.

"ARGH!" Ace screamed, his body in pain from the energy. I watched in horror as Ace began turning into more of a monster than he could before, getting bigger and more muscular. His skin turned black and hairy, his eyes glowing red, and his face contorted so he looked more like a bat. His fangs were four times the size they were before, and his hands and feet turned ugly and clawed. Finally, very large bat-like wings tore out of his back.

"Now, finish the boy, then the transformation will be complete!" Cyclonis shouted. Ace glared down at me, his fangs bared and his claws tightening. He knelt down in front of me again, grabbing my shoulders tightly, his claws piercing my flesh. I gazed over at my friends, who were even more scared than I was. Piper nodded to me, still thinking positive. _Your love will beat them._ I thought about it for a second, then did the only thing I could think of.

"Ace, take me, take my blood, take my heart. I don't care what you do to me. You can do anything you want because…" I ran my fingers through his jet black hair, looking deep into his eyes. "I love you, Ace." Suddenly, his eyes stopped glowing and turned back to normal, seeing that he was giving me a surprised look. "I love you no matter what." I smiled, and then rolled my head back, giving him full access to my veins. Ace seemed to hesitate before grabbing a fistful of my hair and forcefully sinking his fangs into my neck. This time was different from all the other times, because now he was draining every last drop of blood from my body.

I felt weaker and weaker in his arms. I struggled to breathe, and my grip on his shoulders loosened until my arms fell limp at my sides. I thought I heard Piper scream, but all my senses were being drained as well. Ace stopped, pulling his fangs out and dropping me to the floor, my eyes half-lidded and my lungs tightening from lack of oxygen.

I don't really know what happened next with the others around me. I heard voices, but I couldn't see or move. And then, all of a sudden… I could taste blood.

Sweet, sweet blood…

"AAAH!" I screamed and sat up, feeling nauseous and dizzy. My heart was beating so hard I thought it would explode. I was hyperventilating and clutching desperately at my chest, praying for the pain to stop… and it did. My body went stiff, my heart stopping, and my eyes wide open as I fell to the ground again.

I was dead.

^V^

I'll stop here so yall can absorb that. Thanks for the reviews!


	21. 20: Betrayal

The Blood Nexus

Chapter 20: Betrayal

^V^

I awoke a few seconds later, gasping for air as if I had been dead for years. I sat up straight, my senses returning rather quickly, realizing that I felt different than I did before. I looked at my hands, which were very pale, and my nails were longer and sharper. My attention then turned to my chest, noticing that the letters and scratches Ace left there were gone, leaving flawless, pale flesh in its place. I felt my heartbeat, which was slower and harder than before.

I slowly started to remember what had happened only minutes before. Ace drank nearly all of my blood, and I thought he would leave me there to die, but then I felt something on my lips; a liquid, a coppery liquid… blood. And then I was in pain, and my heart stopped… dead. I recognized this process. I felt my teeth with my tongue to see if I was right… and I was.

I now had fangs. I was now a vampire.

Suddenly, I heard someone yell, and I saw a flash of red light. I looked around to see what had happened. Cyclonis was still by the crystal, but now her face was stricken with fury, her glowing staff pointed at something behind me. I stood up and turned around to see Ace lying on the ground, groaning in pain. His body was still that of a monster's form, however, it seemed to be gradually diminishing. I turned to my friends, who looked scared yet happy that I was not dead. Piper looked like she was about to cry, either from happiness or sadness.

I then realized that I could do something about this, now that I was a vampire. I could fight Cyclonis, and I could save Ace and my friends. I was no longer scared. I gave Piper a smile and a nod before turning to face Cyclonis.

"Ace, Ace you fool!" Cyclonis shouted. "We could have ruled the world together!"

"You mean, YOU could have ruled the world." I corrected her. Her vicious eyes pierced through mine.

"You… You corrupted him!" She pointed the staff at me, firing a bolt of energy towards me. "I'LL KILL YOU!" I dodged it, quickly coming up with some kind of plan. I used my new amazing speed to run behind the guards holding my friends, lopping their heads off with my elongated fingernails. I had never even thought of killing anyone before, but now, I was different. I needed to save the people I loved.

"Take cover somewhere." I told them, ignoring their grossed-out looks. I looked above, seeing the many weapons hanging on the high wall. "I'll throw some weapons down for you."

"How're you gonna get up there?" Junko asked.

"Easy." I said with a little too much confidence. I saw another energy bolt coming. "Get down!" Luckily, they all hit the floor in time, except for Radarr, whose tail was now on fire. I moved away from my friends so they wouldn't get caught in between again, ran to the wall and jumped, which was very high, and dug my claws into the concrete wall, holding myself up like I was one of the weapons. Cyclonis looked surprised that I could do that, but frankly, I was more surprised than she was.

The first weapon I saw was a crossbow, luckily loaded with one arrow. I grabbed it and threw it down for Finn, knowing that he's the best shot. "Finn, catch!" Finn clumsily caught it. "Shoot when I tell you!" I saw him nod. I rushed along the wall like a fast spider, throwing down each weapon I went by while dodging blasts along the way. Finally, I jumped off the wall and landed next to the crystal and Cyclonis.

"You bastard!" Cyclonis scowled. "Everything I had planned for my brother is ruined because of you! I have worked for years to make him do this for me!"

"What do you mean?" I asked, wanting an explanation.

"Well, it was simple, really. Get Ace's loving parents killed; Ace turns to me for guidance."

"Wait, what?" I wanted to make sure I heard that right. "You… arranged their deaths?!"

"Of course I did." She snobbishly remarked in her little girl voice. My face heated up with blistering anger. All this time, it had been her who started all of this madness… that was it… the new me wanted to kill her.

"YAAH!" I ran up to her to attack, my claws ready. I tried to slash her but she blocked with her staff.

"It was simple, really." She continued. "The new Hunter leaders hated vampires and wanted them all dead. I went to them in disguise, of course, helping them arrange their revenge on vampires. I made sure your lovely parents were the ones to finish off Ace's." I threw her block to the side, trying to kick her, punch her, cut her - anything. She blocked and dodged all my moves. "And then sensitive little Ace would take his revenge, but I wasn't expecting him to kill all those humans by himself. Oh well, less of a job for me, I suppose." I stopped for a while, keeping my guard up and catching my breath. "But then Big Brother was more sensitive than I thought… he felt guilty about killing some child's parents, even fifteen years after it happened." I gritted my teeth. "I told him the only way to feel better is to kill the bastard child and move on. But then I thought… the child could be our sacrifice for the creation of the ultimate vampire… my beloved Brother."

"SHUT UP!" I shouted. "You don't love him!"

"You're right. Not after his betrayal." She gazed over at his limp body. "I'll kill you first, then Ace, then your silly little friends, and anyone who gets in my way." Unexpectedly, she shot an energy blast from her hand, hitting me and knocking me down.

"AH!" I hit the ground hard. She walked up to me, ready to deliver a finishing blow, but I got up and punched her hard in the stomach. We fought a little more until we were face to face, the two of us holding the staff in attempts to pry it from the other's grasp. I thought now was a good time for Finn's help. "Finn, shoot her!"

"What, but I could hit you!" He called out to me.

"No, you won't! Shoot!" I insisted. I tried holding her still, but since she knew it was coming, we kept moving around. I heard Finn pull the trigger and watched the arrow fly towards us. There was no way I could get her in range, so I let go of the staff and jumped back, watching her fall forward and drop her weapon. She and I watched the arrow zoom towards us, about to hit the crystal.

"NO!" She shouted, reaching for the crystal. The arrow hit and made the crystal dramatically explode, shaking the whole castle and shattering the strong castle wall behind it. I managed to hit the ground in time so the pieces wouldn't fly into my skin. "AUGH!" Cyclonis groaned in pain. I looked up at her, watching her quickly retreat from the sunlight coming through the open space the crystal created without taking her staff. I stood up, dusting myself off.

"What now?" I asked Cyclonis, who was giving me an even dirtier look than before. I looked at myself, finally understanding what her problem was; I was standing in the sunlight, not burning or turning to ash. "I am… a Day Walker." I said surprised. I grinned, now having a way to defeat the witch. "Guess you can't get your toy now, huh?" I put my hands on my hips proudly.

Cyclonis made an evil grin herself, and then used her magic skills to bring the stick to her hand. She used her super speed to get behind me and tried to stab me in the chest. I turned and grabbed the staff in time, but from this angle it was hard to hold on. I struggled against her, squeezing my eyes shut, trying to keep her away. "You can't win against me, I am a pureblood, and you are descended from a long line of weak and pestilent humans!" She bared her fangs. "I will kill you…"

"You will not hurt Aerrow." A whispery voice came from behind Cyclonis. I heard her breath cease and felt her body jerk, letting go of the staff. I opened my eyes to see Ace standing behind her, his fingers ripped through her back and out her chest, holding her still beating heart in his bloody hand. I gagged seeing such a sight, but decided to get over it and take care of the damn staff, breaking it in half over my knee and tossing it aside.

"A-Ace…" Cyclonis could barely talk, violently coughing up blood in between words. "My… brother…"

"I am not your brother." Ace scowled. "You murdered my family. Now, I shall take my proper revenge."

"Your parents… would be disappointed in… how weak you've become." She tilted her head back, resting it on Ace's shoulder.

"I am not weak." Ace whispered. "Not with Aerrow beside me." He tightened his grip on her heart. "You will now sleep, and never hurt anyone again." He squeezed harder and harder until her heart burst into pieces in his hand, and she went limp, her dead body supported by his impaling arm. He pulled his arm out of her chest and carried her body to the light, placing her down quickly so as not to harm himself. We watched as Cyclonis was cremated by the Sun.

When it was done, I turned to Ace, taking a look at him. He was back to normal physically, but his face showed sadness and guilt. I was about to say something to him, but the excited cheers of my friends stopped me.

"Alright, Aerrow and Ace!" Finn said, swinging the crossbow around trying to be cool.

"That was a great shot, wasn't it?" I smiled.

"Yeah, well, you know…" He smiled too, striking a pose.

"Yes, we are all safe… until Finn's head explodes." Stork shrugged.

"That was awesome!" Junko came up to me, giving me a bone-crushing hug. "Hey, can we see your teeth?" I rolled my eyes and opened my mouth, a simultaneous "oooh" filling the room. Radarr made a happy sound and jumped into my arms, the two of us rubbing noses. He pointed to his burnt tail, mewling sadly.

"It's okay, the hair will grow back." I assured him, putting him on my shoulder. Piper came up to me, nearly crying.

"I'm so glad you're okay." She choked out. I smiled and gave her a hug, and she hugged back, saying, "You did it. You won with your heart."

"Yeah." I simply replied. We parted and Radarr jumped off my shoulder. I turned to face Ace, our gazes fixed on each other for a while before he walked up to me and went down to his knees, firmly taking my hands in his. "Ace…?"

"I'm sorry." He said, holding his head low in shame. "I'm sorry for everything I have done. I've hurt you… I made you suffer all your life… You have been through so many things that are my fault…" I heard Ace making sniffling noises. Was he… was Ace _crying?_ "I will not make any excuses. I could have prevented all that has happened in the past fifteen years, but I did not. I, not Cyclonis, decided to murder your parents and the entire hunter race, I made you my feeder on purpose, I raped you, I turned you into a vampire… but I promise I will never harm you or your loved ones again, because in the time that I have spent with you…" He finally looked up at me, and indeed he was crying, a few tears running down his face. "I have fallen in love with you, Aerrow. Your beautiful eyes, face, soul, everything." My eyes went wide after he said that. He smirked and laughed cynically. "I do not deserve such a pure soul. And I have tainted it… you must hate to look upon me." I stopped him there, getting down on my knees too and making sure we made eye contact. I removed my hands from his and wiped the tears from his handsome face.

"I could never hate you for what you did." I started crying, too. "You have saved my life so many times, and you did so much for me… I can't hate you because… I love you too." I smiled real big for him before leaning in and pressing a passionate kiss to his lips. He responded, wrapping his strong arms around my back and pulling me as close as I could get. After several seconds we parted, my eyes wetter than his now. We pulled each other in for a long and warm embrace as we carefully got to our feet. "I love you." I repeated.

"I love you, Aerrow." Ace kissed my cheek. We pulled away again, realizing we were being watched. I laughed nervously, seeing their funny faces.

"Well, it's over." I declared.

"Yes, it finally is." Ace smiled like I never saw him smile before. He was now completely happy, as was I. My heart skipped some beats seeing him like that. "There are still six days of Spring Break left; how would you all like to stay here for the week?" A chorus of positive feedback came from my friends. "Excellent, I'll show you to your rooms." Ace and I led the way down the hall to the guest rooms.

"Ace?" I asked.

"Yes?" He waited for my question, but I couldn't think of anything to say. He smiled and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "I feel as if a large weight has been lifted out of my body, Aerrow, yet something else takes its place." He smiled bigger. "You, my dear boy. You are my life, now."

"Ace…" I smiled back, hugging him tightly. Everything seemed so perfect now: I had Ace, my friends, and we all helped to defeat a girl who was going to rule the Atmos. Still, I can't help but feeling… "Ace, did we forget something?"

"Ah yes." He said, snapping his fingers to summon a guard. "Please find someone to fix that hole in the wall."

^V^

Okay, this is kind of an ending, but not quite. There are other things I'd like to write about for this story, so it's kind of an open ending, idk. I'll see what happens, but until then, please enjoy the end(?) of The Blood Nexus! Thank you!

- Taru-chan


	22. Bonus 2: Rebirth

The Blood Nexus

Bonus Chapter: Rebirth

^V^

After the battle with Cyclonis, Ace showed us all around the castle, had them eat a gourmet dinner, and showed each of our friends the room they'd be sleeping in for the rest of Spring Break. Finn and Stork got a lime green colored room, Piper got a pink room fit for a princess, and Junko got a room with swords and shields all over the walls. Radarr had a choice of staying with me and Ace or with someone else, and he chose the latter; he didn't want to be in a room with "lovey-dovey" things happening, I guess.

Finally, Ace and I entered his master bedroom. I looked down at myself, seeing that I was a complete mess and reeked of blood and sweat. "Shall we bathe together, Aerrow?" Ace asked in his soothing voice. I looked up and nodded, smiling weakly. I had a feeling things would be a little weird between us for a while. "Then, I'll draw a bath." He smiled, and went to the tub and turned on the water. I took my ripped and bloody shirt and pants off and threw them in the trash. I looked around the elegant room, remembering the last time I was in here: finding out that Ace killed my parents, and upon seeing him, running for my life. The vampire history book was still where I had left it, but the picture of my parents and Ace's parents was nowhere to be found. _I hope he threw it away_, I thought.

"I did." I jumped a little when Ace answered my thought. I turned to him, seeing him wearing nothing but a short towel around his waist. "I'll never look at it with false contempt again." He smiled and held his hand out to me. "Ready?"

"Uh, yeah." I went to him and took his hand, which seemed a lot warmer than it usually is. _Oh, that's right,_ I thought, _I'm a vampire now._ It's weird, but I don't exactly feel like a vampire, if you're supposed to. I felt like I always did, really.

Ace and I entered the restroom, and I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I gasped in surprise at what I saw, and let go of Ace's hand to get a closer look. My skin was very pale, and I could see the veins in my temples. My eyes hadn't changed colors, but they had dark circles around them. My lips looked darker because of my stark white skin. I opened my mouth to see my new fangs, and they grew when I willed it. I quickly shut my mouth, having scared myself. "I look like the living dead." I thought out loud. Ace laughed, and came up behind me.

"Don't worry, the effects of rebirth won't last." He joked, turning me around to face him directly. "You're beautiful, Aerrow. You always have been and always will be."

"… Thank you." I said quietly.

"Well, the water's getting cold." Ace changed the subject. He removed his towel and stepped into the tub, carefully sitting in the water. I followed, getting in and sitting across from him. It became awkwardly silent between us as we sat there for what seemed like days before I decided to speak up.

"I, uh… I mean… I'm uh, sorry." I said, averting my gaze from his. He didn't say anything, so I kept going. "I just feel weird about… us, I mean, y-you know…" I shifted uncomfortably. "It's just weird, but I'm sure I'll get over it. I mean, I never knew my parents and I grew up happily without them, but all this time I thought an evil vampire killed them, and it turned out to be you…" I stopped. "I'm sorry! I'm being incredibly rude!" I put my hands on my cheeks, hiding the blush. "It's just… what I'm trying to say is…"

I didn't even hear the water splash as Ace came closer to me and took my hands gently. "Aerrow." He whispered in his deep voice. I shyly looked up at him. "I would completely understand if you never wanted to see me again."

"No, that's…"

"However, I don't get that from you. Maybe… just some time apart?" My heart split for the third time that day. He looked so guilty and upset; he deeply regretted murdering all those hunters, and without Cyclonis around to fill him with hate instead of guilt, it was even worse for him. He was truly feeling such emotions as he's never before. "I understand, Aerrow. It is strange. It's strange for me, too. But I love you, and I would grieve if I were to be apart from you again."

"Really?" Was all I could say.

"When I first saw you, and you looked into my heart, I wanted to be with you. I knew you'd grow up to be someone special to me." He laughed darkly, moving back to his place in the tub. "Indeed you were special, but in a negative way. I would think about you constantly. Most of the time I hated you. I hated you for making me, a pureblood vampire, feel so weak. It was humiliating for me." He crossed his arms. "I didn't understand. I was able to kill the other hunter children, but not you. Why not you?" He sighed, rubbing his temple. "It wasn't all Cyclonis, you know. I could have done away with her if I wanted to, but I thought she was the only one who could get rid of my weakness. All she did was amplify my hateful feelings. Finally I realized, with your help, that my weakness for you was not wrong. It was simply love." He smiled at me. "I said an awful lot, didn't I?"

"Most of the time…"

"Hm?"

"You said most of the time you hated me." I said. "What about the other times?"

"Oh, well…" Ace explained. "I would think about your well-being, how you were growing up, what you would look like as a teenager." He picked up the soap and lathered it on his hands. "See, at first I would think you as a beautiful person. Someone I just wanted to know. But then my devil would take over, and I'd hate you again." He gave the soap to me, and I started lathering, too. "Our natures are so different, Aerrow."

"You mean _were_ different." We rubbed the soap on ourselves and rinsed off.

"No." His brows furrowed. "Even though you are a vampire now, you're still very pure, and I don't think that'll ever vanish."

"Hey, maybe this was the destiny Vladimus was talking about."

"Perhaps." Ace said. "I can already tell you will be a very unique vampire. Speaking of which, are you hungry?"

"Uh, now that you mention it, yes." I rubbed my stomach.

"Then you may take from me."

"Will that be okay?"

"Yes, you will be fine." He moved closer to me again. "You can try taking from a human some other time." He pulled me close, exposing his neck. I was reluctant, shyly bearing my fangs and slowly moving toward his neck. He let out a little grunt as my fangs sank into his veins, and I began to drink. His blood tasted so good, pretty much perfect; I couldn't even imagine tasting someone else's blood but his. After a while, he patted my shoulder, silently telling me it was enough. I pulled away and inhaled sharply, seeing that I let some blood run down his neck to his chest.

"Sorry." I said, wiping it off with soapy water.

"It's alright, you will learn." Ace said as I watched his wound heal quickly. "Let's dry off." He and I stood up together. "Ah!" He hissed in pain, clutching at his lower stomach.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He moved his hand, and I saw a disgusting burn mark there. I can't believe I didn't see that before. "Cyclonis?"

"Yes." Ace answered through gritted teeth. "She shot me while you were transforming."

"Why isn't it healing?"

"The power was from that crystal, and it had strange properties." He stood straight up. "It will heal, but slowly. It will take a few days." I gave him a worried look. "Please, don't bother worrying, Aerrow. And also…" He took my chin in his big hand. "Don't blame yourself for anything that happened." He leaned down and kissed me deeply, my thoughts instantly cleared and focused on one thing – his lips. We parted, the two of us out of breath.

"And you…" I gave him a serious look. "Shouldn't blame yourself anymore."

"It's a deal." He grinned. We dried ourselves off and got in his bed together. We snuggled close to each other, his long arms holding onto me gently but firmly, silently telling me to never leave him.

"I love you." I whispered.

"I love you, too." Ace said back, the two of us drifting into a well-deserved sleep.

^V^

A few weeks passed, and everything was back to its normal routine… well, as normal as it will ever be, I suppose. We were back in school and I was still taking the day class while Ace took the night class (he was a little worried at first but he trusted my instincts). Ace needed a new feeder, though, so he picked a sophomore to feed from. I visited Ace practically daily. I even watched him feed from the sophomore boy, and I actually kind of felt jealous. But, it had to be done; he can't take blood from me anymore. I was still drinking Ace's blood, until he offered me my own feeder.

That's where we ran into problems.

"This is Lynn." Ace introduced me. We greeted each other and shook hands.

"You nervous?" I asked her.

"Of course." She said. "But I'm ready."

"You're braver than I was." I sighed, feeling like my first feeding session with Ace was a very long time ago. The two of us sat down next to each other while she undid her tie and the first two buttons of her shirt, revealing her neck. For some reason, the smell and the sound of her blood pumping through her veins was not arousing me, not like Ace's does. Maybe it was sexual? "Alright." I took her shoulders and leaned in towards her neck carefully. Ace gave me a reassuring nod, and I opened my mouth and slowly pressed my fangs into her veins.

"Agh…" Lynn moaned a little in pain and gripped the couch tighter, but she was doing very well for her first feeding session. I, on the other hand, was not doing so well.

"Mmm…" I pulled away from her, despising the taste of her blood. I swallowed it, anyway, not wanting to be rude. Still, it was gross, and I couldn't understand why.

"Aerrow, are you alright?" Ace bent down to get a better look at me.

"Uh… I don't know…" I said, suddenly feeling very sick.

"Aerrow?" Ace asked once again before I leaned down to vomit on the nice rug.

"Oh my God!" I heard Lynn scream before I passed out, falling forward in Ace's arms.

^V^

"What was that?"

"Maybe we just need to run more tests. This is incredibly strange."

I woke up, my vision blurred and my hearing dull. I tried focusing to see where I was… a hospital room, no less. There was a group of people huddled in the center of the room, possibly talking about me. I remembered everything that happened: Lynn, her blood, the barfing… Ugh, it made me feel sick. I made a groaning noise, and everyone turned to face me.

"Aerrow!" Ace came to my side, taking my face in his hands and kissing my forehead.

"Hi, Ace." I said, smiling as best as I could.

"How do you feel, Aerrow?" Asked one of the others. I guess they were all doctors and nurses. As my vision became better I saw one of them was the school doctor. I guess we're still at school, then, but who are the other three?

"Uh… still kind of nauseous." I said.

"We've never had to pump a vampire's stomach before." The school doctor said. "Thank goodness you survived."

"Uh, great, but… survived what?"

"We don't know." Ace sounded worried. "Vampires never reject blood unless it is poisoned somehow, but Lynn tested negative for that."

"We ran many tests and the Dark Ace told us everything that happened over the past couple of weeks, but nothing adds up." Another doctor explained.

"Maybe I'm a vampire who can only drink a certain blood type."

"We'll see." The third doctor said, picking up four tiny jars with blood samples in them. "The female's blood type was B. These are the three others, plus vampire blood." He sat down next to me and handed a jar to me. "Try each one, but don't swallow. If you dislike it, spit it back into the jar."

"Um, okay." I hoped that I wouldn't puke again after doing this, but I'll do anything to see what's wrong with me. I took blood from each of the containers, but I spat out each one. "I'm sorry."

"Please don't apologize." The doctor said. "We'll fix this somehow, Aerrow, Dark Ace."

"Thank you." Ace answered. "Could you please leave us alone for a while?"

"Yes, sir." The three doctors went out into the hall. Ace ran his fingers through my hair.

"That was frightening." He said, his voice a little shaky. "I wish I understood what happened."

"If you don't get it, then I really don't get it." I took a deep breath. "Is that what they meant by 'strange'?"

"Indeed… wait, you understood our conversation?" Ace's eyebrows rose up.

"Yeah." I said, giving him a weird look.

"We were speaking in Romanian." Ace pointed out.

"Oh, yeah?" I said excitedly. "But does that count as being part of the strangeness?"

"No, that's actually pretty common." He said. "You're considered to be an idiot if you don't instantly know the language."

"Phew, that's good, then." I smiled. "But the blood thing, I just don't get it. I can drink your blood."

"Hm…" Ace said. "I think that giant crystal and your abnormal rebirth may be the problem." Ace looked at the doctors in the hallway. "They cannot help. We need someone older and more intelligent."

"Vladimus?" I asked.

"Exactly." Ace answered. "I will take you to him as soon as I am ready." He kissed my forehead again. "I love you."

"I love you." I took his hand, still surprised at how warm it was. I don't think it's just because I'm a vampire, but also because of his empowering love for me.


	23. Bonus 3: Discovery

The Blood Nexus

Bonus Chapter: Discovery

^V^

"Hm…" Vladimus looked through his books, finding out what was wrong with me. Ace and I sat and waited at his desk. "I have heard of this before, I am just having a hard time remembering."

"It's alright, Vladimus." Ace said.

"Here's the book I was looking for." The old man brought the book to the desk. He opened it to the index and quickly found the page he wanted, flipping through the old pages with ease. "Let's see… 'To thirst for other vampyr's blood.'" He began to read. I leaned in and listened carefully. "Apparently, this is not too uncommon; however, you appear to only be able to consume young Ace's blood." I nodded. He flipped through some more pages. "To thirst for your creator's blood. This is rare and only threatening if your creator dies."

"Then, Aerrow can only take from me."

"That's correct."

"What about only being able to drink from purebloods?" I asked. "That blood I had before wasn't pure, right? Maybe I can try from another pureblood like you." I looked at Ace. "Although I know they are hard to find, too."

"Hm…" Vladimus cut his finger with his nail and poured his blood into an empty teacup. "Try it."

"Uh… you…?"

"Yes." He gave the cup to me. "Don't worry, it is clean." He smiled. I took the cup and drank, but I quickly spit it out. I shook my head and gagged.

"Aerrow…" Ace took my empty hand.

"I'm okay." I put the cup down. "I guess not, then."

"There has only been one recording of such a thing: 1,000 years ago." Vladimus explained. "So strange it would happen right here before me."

"Is this bad? I mean, for us." I asked, gripping Ace's hand. I felt that maybe this could mean we'd be getting attacked again because I'm a little different.

"You young ones have nothing to worry about." The old man said. "It might be a rare ailment, but it's not special. Like I said, it's only a threat if the creator is gone…" He glanced at Ace. "And the only one that I know who wanted to hurt the young prince is gone now." Ace nodded, remembering Cyclonis. Vladimus is right; no one wants to hurt Ace, and even if they did, he is strong enough to handle anyone who dares mess with him. We will be fine.

At least… for now.

^V^

Ace showed me that all vampires have special powers they can use while hunting or fighting. He also said it can be different for anyone: speed, strength, elemental powers, transforming, warping from place to place, and telepathy. Ace already demonstrated that he has speed, strength, telepathy and transforming into that bat-beast thing, but he showed me something I didn't know he had.

"Watch." Ace gave me that infamous smirk as we stood in an open field outside the castle grounds. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists, as if conjuring something. Suddenly, little sparks of electricity came from his hands, and then pushed his arm out to release a massive amount of lightning into the sky.

"Wow!" I exclaimed, watching the lightning light up the night. A crack of thunder soon followed, and I jumped at the loudness of the sound. "That is so cool!"

"Ha, you should have seen me when I first began training. I electrocuted myself." Ace and I laughed together. "My clothes were on fire and my hair was standing straight up."

"Like this?" I took Ace's head and ruffled up his hair. I pulled away to look at his silly hair and funny expression. I laughed harder, and he soon followed.

"However, you might not have the same power I do." He calmed down. "This is how I learned of my power." He sat on the ground, legs crossed and eyes closed. I copied him. "You must absorb the natural environment around you. Feel all of the elements you can. Find the one you connect with the most."

"This is like a kung fu movie." I said, opening my eyes.

"I guess." Ace cracked a smile.

"Um… will I find this element today?" I asked.

"Maybe not." He explained. "You will know when you have found it."

"Okay." I said with confidence. I closed my eyes, sensing the world around me. I used my hearing: crickets, owls, running water, the rustling of branches. I used scent: grass, flowers, animals. I used vision for a moment: the stars, the moon, and the many trees. I wasn't getting anywhere. I closed my eyes again, this time using touch. I felt the ground I was sitting on. I felt the warm night air. I felt the wind blow through my hair, caress my skin, and go through my entire body… "Ah!" My eyes snapped open.

"Yes, what is it?" Ace asked.

"I think… it's wind." I said, kind of amazed at what I felt. "My element is wind!"

"Excellent, a perfect element for you." Ace and I stood up. "Free-spirited, curious, smart, and kind." I blushed at Ace's compliments. "And yet, the wind can be vicious, competitive, and cutting."

"Hey, I'm none of those things! Except maybe a little competitive…" Ace laughed.

"You will be surprised of the things you learn about yourself through your element." Ace said, ruffling my hair this time. "It takes time to master it. Are you ready?"

"Of course I am!" I said excitedly.

^V^

I was so glad that at least one part of my new vampire self was normal. Ace taught me how to control wind easily, since I was so eager to learn. But now it was time for flying lessons. Ace took me to the roof of the castle while explaining how the flying was done.

"Really, you can fly without becoming that beast-thing?" I asked Ace.

"That's right." Ace said. "Like this." He took his shirt off (naturally making my face heat up) and simply stood there as huge bat-like wings grew out from his back. He flapped them a couple times to bring his feet off the ground, hovering above me. Instead of looking scary like he did before, this time he looked beautiful, like a dark angel. He smirked, holding his hand out to me.

"Wait, you want me to…"

"Yes." Ace answered. "Come on."

"Alright." I said confidently. I'm not scared of heights, and I know that Ace will hold on to me. I took his hand and he held me close. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he flew us up into the air very quickly. After just a few seconds, we were up so high I could see the edge of the terra. The moon seemed even closer to us than it was. Everything looked beautiful. "Wow, this is amazing."

"Yes, being a vampire has its advantages."

"So, how will I learn to do this?" I had to ask.

"Oh, it's very simple." Ace gave me his infamous evil grin. Shit, I knew what he was about to do… he was going to let me fall!

"Oh my God, Ace, don't…"

"It's okay, Aerrow, just concentrate on your wings." He let go of me, but I still held on to his neck. "I'll catch you if it doesn't work."

"I'm still scared, though!" I yelled.

"Good, use that fear." Ace pulled my arms off and he let me go. I started falling, the ground becoming closer and closer each millisecond.

"AAAAH! I'M GONNA KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!" I screamed in anger, watching him fly far enough away so I couldn't grab him. He laughed and said something, but I couldn't hear him with the wind rushing through my ears. _Okay, okay… this is okay… just concentrate like he said… concentrate…_ I closed my eyes and imagined wings coming out of my back and expanding to parachute my fall.

_FWOOSH_

I opened my eyes, finding my vision to have become a reality. The surface was about 50 feet away as I floated in the air. I laughed nervously, looking up at Ace. "Phew… you know, I thought the wings sprouting from my back would hurt, but…" Ace looked very shocked. "What, you didn't think I could do it?"

"Aerrow, your wings…" He said quietly. I gave him a confused look before turning my head to see my new wings.

"Oh…" They were beautiful, white, and feathery, like an angel's wings. "Is there something wrong with them?"

"I have never seen such wings on a vampire before." He said. "Never…"

"No…" I sighed, not wanting something else wrong with me.

^V^

"You are a very rare vampire indeed." Vladimus gazed in amazement at my wings.

"Has this happened before?" Ace asked.

"Yes, very long ago… but I won't bore you with details." Vladimus touched my left wing, and I actually felt it. "To put it simply, Aerrow is what they call a 'Katharez'. He is a pure-hearted vampire."

"Pure-hearted?" I questioned. "I'm not pure at all! I'm flawed… hell, I even killed two vampires to protect my friends!"

"Aerrow…" Ace seemed surprised to hear that.

"So, what does this mean, exactly?" For some reason I was getting mad.

"Well, let me go over this with you." Vladimus turned the page of the book he was reading and found his place with his finger. "Let's see… you still have Heart Vision, correct?"

"I… I guess so." I said. The old man came up to me and looked into my eyes carefully.

"You do." He clarified. "Then, are you able to read my thoughts?"

"Uh…" I never tried that before. I stared at the old man, trying to see into his head, trying to guess every word he was thinking… but all I could see were his feelings, which were awe and some fear. "No."

"I see." He looked at me again, studying my eyes carefully. It was as if he was doing a brain scan on me without equipment. "Aerrow, you are a Katharez because of your humanistic flaws and hunter blood." I gave him a blank stare. "Though you are a vampire, you still have human emotions and actions, and they are not likely to disappear. Part of the reason is you cannot feed from human beings, something that assists in the abolishment of feelings towards such creatures. Not only all that, you're a daywalker, a hunters' child with the power of Heart Vision, and angelic wings. Who knows what kind of beast you can become, if at all."

"Am I dangerous?" I asked.

"All vampires are dangerous. You are not different in that respect, or your ability to control wind, but…"

"Then, he is in danger, right?" Ace asked, finding it hard to say.

"I'm… afraid so, Ace." Vladimus sighed, shaking his head. "Since you are so rare, other vampires will want to study you, worship you, or… well, vampires are jealous of humans because they wish they had such emotions, and since you are a vampire with such qualities…" He stopped, sitting in his chair.

"I understand." I said calmly, but clenching my fists behind my back. "Thank you so much, Vladimus."

"There's no need to be afraid, young one." He smiled. "Everyone in this castle is willing to protect you, especially Ace. And I'm sure you can take care of yourself."

"Yes." I turned to Ace, smiling.

"Then, we will go." Ace took my hand and we went to the door. "Thank you, Vladimus."

"My pleasure." He said before we left.

"I can put the wings away now, right?" I asked.

"Of course." Ace said. I focused, letting the wings go back under my skin. Ace saw my pissed look. "Aerrow…"

"I was just an average kid, with an average IQ, average physical abilities, average life!" My voice got higher in volume. "And then I find out that I'm not such an average kid, and now I can't even be an average vampire!" I looked at Ace, who was hurt by what I just said. "No, Ace, I'm not blaming you for anything, it's just…" I sighed. "Why can't I just be normal?"

"I don't know, Aerrow." Ace took my shoulders. "I don't know how the crystal affected you, how I affected you, or why the gods chose you to carry such weight on your shoulders." He pulled me in for a warm hug. I hugged him back. "But Vladimus is right. I will protect you with everything I have, because I love you."

"… Thank you Ace. I love you too." I replied. I appreciated what he promised, but still, I didn't want him to have to protect me from such disgusting vampires.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you this sooner, Aerrow…" He pulled away, smiling at me. "But your wings are… so beautiful." He leaned down to kiss me deeply.

_You are beautiful…_ He told me with his mind as we kissed, all my worries suddenly melting away within him.

^V^

Wow, okay kids, let me break it down for you.

Aerrow can:

Walk in the sun

Control wind

Fly with angel wings

Read emotions

Have human emotions

Do other cool vampire things: run real fast, lift heavy things, grow his nails and make them sharp

Aerrow can't:

Read minds

Feed from anyone except Ace

Uh… poo-poo ^_^

Yeah, lotta stuff happening. BTW, 'Katharez' is the Greek word for 'pure', I think (I translated the letters myself, so it might not be exactly it).

Taru-chan


	24. Bonus 4: Beauty

The Blood Nexus

Bonus Chapter: Beauty

^V^

"Let's just get some rest." Ace said, shutting the bedroom door behind us.

"Yeah." I agreed, taking my shirt and pants off. I felt Ace's eyes on my body as I undressed, and I smiled. "You know, Ace, we haven't... done it... since I was human." I turned to face him.

"Yes, that's true..." Ace swallowed. "But, we can wait a little longer." Well, that wasn't the answer I was looking for. Usually he's welcome to my consent, but...

I understood. It's not really about what happened today, but what happened weeks ago... the night he raped me. Although, I didn't really see it that way, but he did. He still felt guilty. "Heh, you know, I'm really disappointed in myself." I said, getting a confused look from Ace. "I'm... such a masochist." I walked up to him. "I really kinda... liked it, you know..." I was hoping he'd read my mind so I didn't have to say anymore; I felt really embarrassed. He showed a half-smile, understanding what I meant.

"You did, did you?" He asked, suddenly looking sad. "I'm sorry I did that to you, Aerrow..." I shut him up with a deep kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him closer. I pulled away slowly, savoring the moment.

"No more apologies." I whispered. "I want you, Ace. I love you."

"Aerrow, I love you too." Ace replied, pressing his lips to mine again. We walked to the bed, still kissing, our tongues battling each other's. Before getting on the bed, we removed the rest of our clothing. I scooted back and he crawled on top of me, kissing me so hard that I thought my head would break through the mattress. "You know, if you liked that, we could do it again sometime, but with love, not false hate." He said against my lips.

"I'll hold you to it." I winked and smiled. Ace kissed me again, easier this time.

"But for now, I want to treat you like the angel you are." Ace turned me over on my stomach, kissing the back of my neck to the crook.

"Mmm!" I moaned into the pillow, pushing my hips up to meet his. He growled as I rubbed myself on him slowly.

"Getting feisty, are we?" He gasped. I turned my head to look at him, grinning mischievously. "The beast in you has given you fire."

"Is that a problem?" I asked, still grinning.

"Not at all." Ace smiled before carefully nibbling on my neck so as not to draw blood. I continued to rub myself on him, wanting to please him as much as he pleased me. "Ngh!" He grunted, trying to control himself. I decided to stop, letting him take it slow like he wanted. He gently kissed in between my shoulder blades – the spot where my wings come out. As he caressed me there, I let my wings out again, spreading them wide. I sat up and turned around to face him as loose feathers fluttered in the space between us on the huge bed. "My God, you are so beautiful!" Ace said, looking awestruck.

"Ace…" I blushed, not really knowing what to say after that. Ace just leaned in and took my lips with his, easily slipping his tongue in my mouth. We kissed like that for several minutes before reluctantly pulling away. He smiled and reached out to touch the feathers on my wing, gently stroking them. "It's almost like… my mother knew the future."

"How do you mean?" Ace asked.

"The earliest memory I have of my mother was her calling me an angel, just like you do." I explained. He seemed surprised to hear that. "And with these wings and all… it's almost like the two of you knew."

"Mothers… tend to have dreams of what their children will be like." Ace said forlornly. "Yet as for me, I guess it's what you call a 'gut feeling'." He came closer to me, taking one of my nipples in his mouth as I moaned. I threaded my fingers through his thick hair as he worked his skilled mouth down my body. He finally got to my hard member, kissing and licking it tenderly.

"Oh, God!" I threw my head back, letting go of his hair so I could support myself on the bed with my elbows. Ace took me in his mouth and began sucking… very slowly. "AAH!" It was painful how slow he was going. I pushed my hips up, trying to tell him to go faster. He didn't, but he spread my legs further and pushed two fingers inside me. "A-Ace…" He looked up at me with those blood-red eyes, and I came hard. "ACE!" I couldn't support myself anymore and just fell on the mattress, my wings flat and spread out, and the loose feathers flying up again.

"Aerrow…" Ace pulled himself up between my legs, staring at me. "I don't deserve someone so pure."

"Then taint me." I whimpered, pushing myself closer to him.

"You shouldn't… say things like that."

"Ace, please…" I pleaded, spreading my legs more. Ace finally gave in and pressed his large erection inside me. There was hardly any pain; it was mostly pleasure. It felt amazing. I felt his hands grab my hips and he started thrusting at a good and steady rhythm. I gazed up at his handsome face and perfect body, wondering what the hell he was thinking. He didn't deserve me? Bull. I'm the one who doesn't deserve him. He saved my life so many times, and he's a freaking prince! He thinks such stupid things. I used my wings to caress his face, making him look me in the eyes. He pulled me up so he was on his knees and I was on his lap. It was his turn to show me his black, leathery, but beautiful wings as I watched them fan out from behind him.

"I wish instead of me tainting you…" He wrapped his wings around me. "That you could purify me." I sighed, wrapping my wings around him as well.

"You shouldn't say things like that." I copied him, making him laugh pitifully. Ace continued to thrust inside me, easily finding my spot now that our position altered. "AAAH!" I screamed, pushing my hips down to meet his hard thrusts.

"AERROW!" Ace cried out, coming deep inside me. I came too, my whole body shuttering. He held me as our breathing slowed. We put our wings away and fell back on the bed, watching the feathers fly again.

"I'll clean those up." I said between panting.

"No need." Ace said, pulling the sheets up on our bodies. "Someone else will get them."

"It must be nice having butlers and maids, huh?"

"Indeed." Ace smiled. "I was born lucky… in that respect, anyway."

"Hey, Ace, what did you mean by mothers having dreams of their kids?" I asked.

"Well…" He began. "My mother told me that before I was born she would have dreams about me, yet I suppose they're more like premonitions." He moved a lock of hair away from my eyes. "She saw me sitting on the throne as a king."

"Do you think my mother dreamt too?" I asked carefully, not really wanting to bring up my parents with Ace more than needed.

"Absolutely." Ace scratched his chin. "Although many parents call their children angels."

"Yeah, if they're _girls_." I rolled my eyes. Ace laughed.

"But you are the exception." He kissed my forehead.

"So, a king, huh?" I said, changing the subject back to him. "Why aren't you king now?"

"In order to be king, I must marry." He explained. _Marry? _I suddenly got this lump in my stomach.

"You mean… a girl?"

"I can marry whoever I chose." Ace assured me with his eyes. "The law does not abide to a specific sex or social status."

"What if I… or someone was a human?" I blushed.

"Hm… if that was the case, there might be some problems." He smirked, realizing my slight anxiety about this conversation. "What?"

"Uh, well…" I stuttered. I wasn't sure if this was supposed to be a simple talk or if he was indirectly asking me to marry him, the latter of course being my wish. "I was just… um, what I'm trying to say is…"

"Aerrow…" Ace loomed over me. "Do you want to marry me?" I was completely speechless. What the hell do I say? My mind was going nuts. Ace sighed. "Aerrow, I would love to be your husband." He took my hand. "However, you are going through an awful lot right now: being a new vampire, your friends, and especially school. I wish for you to finish school before even thinking of what I just asked you." He moved his body closer to me so he could embrace me. "Until then, I await your answer." I thought about it… and he was right. I was going through a lot right now, and marriage – especially with a prince – takes lots of time to prepare. I wanted to marry him, but waiting would be best.

"Okay, Ace." I hugged him back. "Don't cheat and read my mind before then!"

"Haha… I'll try."


	25. Bonus 5: News

The Blood Nexus

Bonus Chapter: News

^V^

Ace and I woke up the next morning… uh, I mean _evening_… feeling well-rested and ready for the day… um, _night_. We went through our routines and headed for the study where Ace says he does his "princely work". It sounds pretty boring to be a monarch: doing paperwork, heading tedious ceremonies and letting everyone do everything for you. You'd think being a vampire prince that the job would be a little more exciting for him.

It was about to.

"Your Highness!" A little servant-guy ran up to us holding mail. He seemed nervous, like it was his first day on the job.

"What is it?" Ace asked calmly, as if he knew this guy freaked out all the time.

"I-I'm sorry, sir, b-but there's an important message for you that n-needed to be delivered r-right away!" He handed the envelope to his master.

"This better be imp… that seal…" Ace saw the seal on the melted wax that kept the envelope closed (I didn't know they used those anymore) and it put a shocked expression on his face. "Fuck, they know already!"

"Whoa, what's going on?" I asked. Ace didn't curse like that unless he was really angry.

"That will be all." He said to the nervous servant, then took my hand and pulled me into the study with him.

"What happened?" I asked again, obviously getting worried.

"It's the damned Senate!" He said, angrily reading the letter. "They know about you."

"Wha- about me?" I replied. "But what is the Senate?"

"The ones who rule over all vampires." Ace sighed, seeing that I was still confused. "My mother and father were rulers of a section of Atmos, not the whole of it. They were in charge of local regulations. The pureblood vampires of the Senate rule everyone." He clenched the letter in his fist. "I was hoping they wouldn't find out so soon."

"But… how?" I took the crinkled paper from his grip and opened it. "Did someone here tell them?"

"They simply have their ways." Ace cringed. "They are bastards, liars… they wrote those ridiculous history books you read!"

"Well, if they 'have their ways,' should you be bad-mouthing them?"

"They already know what I think of them." He sat down at the desk, wiping his face. "At least they haven't done anything too horrific… that I know of."

_Dear Prince,_

_It's come to our knowledge that you have acquired an astounding new friend, of which I hope we can become friends with as well. A few members of the Senate would like to drop by tomorrow evening to talk with you. And don't bother cleaning up; we won't be too long._

_Kastor_

"They certainly do sound creepy… but are we in any danger?"

"No. Not yet." Ace said half-heartedly.

"Hey, why didn't they talk to you about Cyclonis?"

"Heh, don't know… maybe they just didn't care about a 'family feud.'"

"Jeez, this is crazy." I sat across from Ace, putting the letter on the desk.

"An understatement." He replied, surprising me as he took the letter and used his electricity powers to set the letter on fire in his hand. What was even more surprising, though, was the look in his eyes… the same furious, yet depressed look he had when Cyclonis was alive. Even though she was gone, someone else has taken her place. Vampires who have more power than her? And now they're after us, too?

Why can't we have a normal happy ending?

^V^

"They have arrived, Your Highness!"

"Bring them in." Ace sat at his throne, keeping his sharp, serious eyes on the front door. He wore a suit with a frilly white shirt underneath, and a black cape that was so long he was sitting on it and it fanned out on the steps in front of him. I didn't feel right sitting in the Queen's throne, so I just stood off to the side with a few soldiers.

And then they entered – the vampires of the Senate. There were four of them: the first was an older-looking man with a white, well-trimmed beard and matching hair, the second was a pale-blonde woman, the third was a well-built middle-aged man, and the fourth was a tall, spiky-haired teen that looked really short-tempered. They all had suits with a pin on the collar that looked like the seal on the letter they sent. They stood at the foot of the staircase. The old man and Ace stared at each other before exchanging cold greetings.

"Your Highness." The old man sneered.

"Kastor." Ace sneered right back. This was the man who wrote the letter.

"Where are your manners, boy?" Kastor asked. "You should say, 'Welcome to my home,' at least."

"You're only welcome when I invite you, not when you invite yourself." Oh no, I didn't want Ace already causing problems.

"Then you should have invited us sooner." Kastor replied calmly. "You know how interested we are in the wonders of our world. We just couldn't wait any longer." He looked right at me. He knew who I was already. "Now won't you introduce us to your special friend?" Ace grunted and stood from his throne. I met him at the bottom of the staircase.

"This is Aerrow." Ace introduced us.

"Aerrow…" Kastor took my hand and bowed, touching his forehead on my hand. I could tell Ace didn't like that at all, and I didn't even have to look at him. "I am Kastor, a high-ranking member of the Vampire Senate." He let me go. "These are my associates, Skovia…" The woman bowed her head. "Mr. Parr…" The built man bowed next. "And Renzo." The teen bowed last.

"It's nice to meet all of you." I bowed too, making sure to watch my manners.

"Ah, such a charming boy." Kastor smirked.

"How about we all sit down in the parlor?" Ace said through gritted teeth, taking my hand and leading us all to the next room. There were plenty of places to sit; Ace and I took the loveseat while the other four vampires sat on the couch and chairs.

"Hm… Aerrow… that name is familiar…" Kastor mused.

"The vampire hunters' kid." Mr. Parr spoke in an earth-shaking, deep voice.

"That's right, the one that got away." Kastor stared at me. "And now you two have found each other and became friends. What a dark and romantic story." Tell me about it.

"That's behind us now." Ace explained. He obviously didn't want to talk about it.

"You don't expect us to let you rebuild those disgusting hunters, do you?" Skovia said in a thick accent. "Especially after you liberated us all, Dark Ace." She said that with admiration. She called him Dark Ace? I thought that was just his school nickname.

"I don't." Ace said bluntly.

"But what about the boy?" Kastor asked, still staring. "Does he want to rebuild his family?" They all stared at me now, waiting for my answer. I thought carefully before speaking.

"I don't think humans should be hunters anymore." I said. "I believe vampires should take care of their own kind."

"Very well spoken, Aerrow." Kastor leaned forward. "Your master must be proud."

"Ace does not own me." I raised my voice slightly. "I'm with him of my own freewill."

"Is that so?" Kastor actually seemed surprised. "That's unbelievable."

"Alright, that's enough." Ace stood up. "What do you want from us?"

"Always so short with us." Kastor stood up too. "We simply want to learn about Aerrow, Ace. Nothing more, nothing less. Just show us what he can do." Ace and I looked at each other. I nodded, telling him it was okay.

"Fine. But then you will all leave immediately, understand?"

"Of course, Prince." Kastor bowed his head. Even though he wasn't looking at me now, I could still feel his stare burning into my eyes.

^V^

"Amazing!" They all gasped in awe as they looked upon my white wings, which the Moon highlighted beautifully. Even Ace was still in amazement, and he's seen them already.

"Uh… I'm not the best flier, yet." I said before flapping my wings in an attempt to get my feet off the ground. I hovered around a little to get my balance and took off, gliding a good twenty feet above the ground. I flew around in a small circle and landed where I started.

Time to show them my power. I took a deep breath and got in a solid stance before summoning the air around me to create a tornado. I used my hands to push the tornado out into the field, watching it slow down and eventually disappear. The vampires of the Senate actually clapped for me; I didn't like that. I felt like a one-man circus freak show.

"Outstanding!" Kastor smiled. "Such purity… I've never felt anything like this boy's aura: those… human emotions…" He sounded very possessive there, like he wanted to eat me alive.

"I also can walk in the sun and read emotions." I said, trying to get his mind off of whatever he was thinking.

"Read emotions? Ah yes, that hunter power." He pushed Renzo forward. "Read his." I looked into the guys eyes. He wasn't too hard to read, but then again, all vampires are pretty easy.

"Anger, stubbornness, self-absorbed, annoyed." I gave my list. Kastor laughed hysterically.

"Right on the money." The old man said after his short laugh. Renzo gave me a rotten look. "Ah, what a brilliant boy. You certainly are lucky to have him, Ace."

"Like Aerrow said, I do not own him." Ace corrected Kastor's thoughts. "But, yes, I'm quite lucky." He put his arm around me.

"Please, let us take you to our facilities. You'll only be there for a week, two weeks tops. We must obtain more research on your kind, Aerrow." The older man asked as nicely as he could. I thought about it: it was true that there was hardly any knowledge about the 'Katharez', and I would certainly like to know more about myself. And if anything would go wrong at all over there, I would leave immediately. It all sounded simple to me.

"_Don't trust them, Aerrow."_ Ace penetrated my thoughts with his. _"Their methods of research are not at all like what you think they are."_

"_It will be fine."_ I thought back to him. _"The vampire world needs to know more about me."_ I looked at Kastor with assertive eyes. "I'll do it, but only if you let Ace come with me."

"We wouldn't have it any other way." He gave a sly look to us. "We'll see you tomorrow then, bright and early."

"We'll meet you there." Ace said. "I am not prepared to have guests sleep here."

"Very well." Kastor smirked. "Good day, young ones." He bowed his head, then walked past us, his minions following close behind.

"I hope you realize what you've agreed to, Aerrow." Ace was very upset with my decision.

"Sorry, but I just…"

"I know." He looked at me with concerned eyes. "I just wish there was another way."

"Yeah, me too." I shuddered from the cold night air blowing through my shirt. "Come on, let's go get ready. I can't wait to get in the shower." Yeah, so I could wash those creepy eyes off my body.

^V^

Yay, done another chapter. Maybe just a few more and that'll be it. I want to write other things. Thank you, bye, please R&R!


	26. Bonus 6: Studies

The Blood Nexus

Bonus Chapter: Studies

^V^

The next night we went to the Senate's laboratory, 'bright and early' like we promised. It wasn't that big of a place on the surface, but Ace explained it went deep underground. An underground lab… how apropos. Kastor and company greeted us at the entrance and led us to the glass elevator that would begin our tour of the secret underground lab.

It seemed like a normal, albeit stereotypical facility for studying strange and mysterious creatures; in fact, it almost seemed like a hospital on the first level. There were people in hospital beds and IVs, and what seemed like regular doctors giving their patients check-ups. The next levels got stranger and stranger, from MRIs to human-sized test tubes. I knew they were gonna put me in one of those first.

"Aerrow, Ace, please come this way." Kastor said as the elevator stopped. We followed him to the giant tubes. He pressed a few buttons and we watched the water drain out of the tube and the glass lift. "Strip to your undergarments and step inside."

"Um, okay." This was starting to feel like a superhero origins movie. I timidly took off everything but my boxers and got on the platform, and Kastor pressed a button, making the glass come down around me. Even though I never had this problem before, I started feeling claustrophobic. Then the liquid started coming back up in the tube. I gave everyone a worried look.

"It's fine, boy, you'll be able to breathe in the liquid." Kastor explained as the liquid quickly reached my chest. I nodded nervously, but still took a deep breath before the fluid rose to my head and filled up the whole tank. I exhaled and smiled, happy that the creepy man wasn't lying. It was a little hard to see out the tank now, but I managed to catch Kastor flipping another switch. Suddenly, strange wires came from the roof of the tube and stuck themselves to my skin. I guess they were monitors, like the ones _normal_ doctors use to check your heart and stuff. "_We will check your vitals and such while you're in the tube, however, it's going to take a long time_." Kastor pushed his thoughts into my head. "_We'll put you to sleep in the meantime_."

"_Alright_." I replied in my head, wondering if he could hear me. Although I agreed, I didn't really like what was going on. If they wanted to check my vitals, why couldn't this be a normal doctor's visit? Something wasn't right.

"_Don't worry, I'll be here."_ Ace assured me. I smiled at that, knowing it was true. There's nothing to be scared of as long as he's here with me. I finally started feeling sleepy and let myself relax as the anesthetic took over.

^V^

_Show me your fears._

_Let yourself go in your dreams._

"_Ace? Ace?" The teen screamed, trying to see in the pitch blackness. "Where are you?"_

"_I'm right here." The tall vampire became visible._

"_Oh, Ace, I'm glad I found you." The boy embraced his lover. "I hate this place. Let's leave."_

"_I'm afraid you won't be leaving." Ace said darkly._

"_Huh? Ace what's wrong with you?" The young boy pulled away to see the prince's face._

"_Shouldn't you be calling me 'Master'?" He licked his lips in a carnal manner._

"_What?" The boy saw hunger and pure evil in the vampire's red eyes. The prince growled and turned into the beast that the teen feared so much from his childhood. He wrapped his large, clawed hand around the boy's small neck, choking him._

"_I'll destroy you just as I destroyed your parents!" The ugly beast shouted and bared his fangs. As he did, two horribly mutilated bodies stood on either side of him. They were the young boy's parents, back from the dead._

"_How could you be with the thing who killed us?" His mother said._

"_It's a monster! It will never change! And now he's going to kill you!" His father said._

"_Should have listened to your parents." The gross beast roared._

"_ACE! NO! STOP!" The poor boy tried to break free, but it was no use. The beast bit into the boy's neck, his blood gushing everywhere. He didn't think he could scream loud enough. Then, he heard laughter. He looked behind the beast and saw four other vampires, laughing maniacally at the boy's demise. The blackness came again, this time to his vision. His body no longer felt pain, and he no longer could hear the laughter. He was dead._

"_AAAAACE!"_

"AAAH!" I woke up extremely disturbed by that nightmare. I never had one like that before. I was shaking and I felt hot, and wet… right, I was still in the tank. I looked out and saw Ace, Kastor and the others standing there. The liquid started to leave the tank, and then it opened. I still felt exhausted and fell to my hands and knees, trying to catch my breath after that horrible nightmare.

"Aerrow!" Ace ran to my side, putting his arms around me. I tensed up a little, still thinking about how he attacked me in the dream.

"You did very well, Aerrow." Kastor slyly smiled down at me. "We were able to get a lot of information about your kind."

"Yeah, like what?" I mumbled angrily.

"Just the basics: heart rate, motor skills, your powers, brain waves." He said that last part with a certain tang in his voice; I knew it, he made me have that dream!

"You bastard!" I got up and shouted in his face. "You did that to me!"

"Aerrow!" Ace was surprised to see me so angry. Hell, even I was surprised. I usually don't get like this, but this man…

"Does Ace know what you did?" I kept going. "I do NOT think of him that way! How dare you!"

"I merely extracted your innermost fears, boy." Kastor stepped back. "It was _your_ nightmare, _your_ thoughts. I didn't put them there."

"You…" I tried to see if he was lying, but for some reason, I couldn't tell. It might have been true, but if it was, why were those four in my nightmare? He must have done something… but I just didn't know. "Don't ever do that to me again." I said through gritted teeth.

"Understood." He smiled wryly again. "Well, you and the prince can go rest. Tomorrow will be field testing, something I'm sure a young athlete like yourself will enjoy. Ace knows the way to your quarters." With that, he turned his back to me and walked away, his cronies following behind. The one with the temper gave me a dirty look before following his master.

"Aerrow, what happened?" Ace asked, looking at me with worried eyes.

"Let's go to our 'quarters'." I mumbled.

^V^

"You were right, Ace. We shouldn't have come here." I slammed my fist in the metal wall of our room. Since this place studies vampires and they are far stronger than humans, the walls were built so angry vampires couldn't dent them. It was about the size of my dorm room at school, and it seemed much bigger since there was only one bed and a small yet clean bathroom. It was like a rich person's prison cell.

"What did they do to you, Aerrow?" Ace asked sternly, taking my shoulders. "Tell me."

"They…" I paused, looking into Ace's serious eyes. "They made me have a nightmare… about you, my parents…" Ace let go. "It was far worse than any nightmare I had before. I would never…" I stopped myself, seeing Ace back away from me.

"Your innermost fears." He repeated what Kastor said earlier. "They are of me."

"No!" I said. "They made me have the dream! I don't think that way at all!"

"Aerrow, are you so sure of that?" Ace looked hurt again.

"I stopped having the nightmares after Cyclonis died. I'm not afraid…" I stopped myself and thought for a while. Was I scared? If I was, would I be with Ace after I know the truth? Of course not! I'm not scared of Ace. Besides, if he ever did try to hurt me, I'd be able to fight back now. If I'd be scared of anything, it'd be… "My parents."

"What?" Ace asked.

"I'm afraid of my parents; I mean, what would they think if they saw me here with you?" I said quietly. "That's what I'm afraid of, I think."

"… I see." Ace looked uncomfortable. "Well, what would they think?" He asked, mostly to himself, not me.

"Well, I don't know." I explained. "I never knew them, so…" I didn't really want to talk about this, either. "How long was I in that thing?"

"Four hours." He answered.

"Did you speak with Kastor?" I cringed when I said his name.

"He… He asked me where you received such great power." He told me, pacing towards the bed. "I told him about the crystal."

"What did you do with the pieces of that crystal?"

"I had the remains cremated in a boiler." Ace said. "Indeed there are more crystals like that one, but Cyclonis used her powers to make it one of a kind."

"I'm sure he was disappointed to hear that." I sighed with relief that the crystal was gone.

"He was." Ace smiled evilly. I smiled, too, wishing I could have seen Kastor's face.

"Anything else?"

"He said, 'I wonder what would happen if the beast in him gets provoked'." Ace's smile was instantly gone.

"That's why I had that dream." I concluded. "He wanted me to get angry." It worked; I am angry, angrier than I have ever felt. Not only did that bastard give me the nightmare, he gave me furiousness. "Ace, what should we do? I want to be studied, but not this way. I feel like I'm losing control."

"Don't worry." Ace took my hands. "We're not prisoners here. If you want to leave, we can."

"You sure it'll be that easy?" I asked. "I do _not_ trust these guys."

"I will protect you." He assured me with his gorgeous eyes.

"And I'll protect you, too." I smiled. I could tell he didn't really like the idea, but he'll just have to get used to it. I have these powers, and I'll use them to protect the ones I love.

"I understand." Ace nodded, probably reading my mind.

"Good." I smirked before reaching forward to kiss him, wrapping my arms around his neck. This time, I was the one to push my tongue into his mouth first, sliding it along his. He grinned in the kiss and ran his hands down my back all the way to my backside. I pulled away and exhaled, giving him a feral look before pushing him on the bed. I ripped off my robe and climbed on top of him, showing him my fangs. I dug my sharp nails into his chest, and he groaned in pain. "I want it rough." I whispered in his ear, then biting into his neck, succumbing to my hunger.

"You do?" Ace grunted. "Then prepare yourself." He wasted no time and flipped me over, grabbed my wrists and yanked them above my head. He took his belt and tied it around my wrists to the headboard. "If you break that, I'll stop." He warned me. I nodded, adjusting myself on the bed so I was sort of comfortable. He crashed his lips down on mine and slid his long tongue in my mouth, causing me to choke. Then he took my tongue and bit it, a big drop of blood escaping from the corner of my mouth. Before Ace pulled away, he bit my bottom lip, taking a good look at my swollen and bloody mouth. "Too bad you heal so quickly now."

"I know." I licked my lips to get rid of some of the blood.

"Guess I'll have to make the wounds deeper, then." He gave me that priceless evil look before leaning down and puncturing my neck, not only with his fangs, but with the rest of his teeth, too.

"AAGH!" I yelled in pain.

"I can taste my own blood in yours." Ace growled. "We are deeply connected, now."

"Yes…" I smiled, truly loving this side of Ace. He released my vein and moved up to sink his teeth in my triceps, scratching his nails into my sides just hard enough to leave welts. "Ugh!" He moved down a little and bit my chest, pulling off some skin with his teeth. "Ahhh…" Ace then licked his way up to my nipple and bit right through it as if making a piercing with his fangs. "G-God!" I pushed my lips up, grinding myself against his hardness. To my disappointment, he pushed my hips down.

"Ah-ah…" Ace scolded playfully. "Let's not skip ahead." He got off the bed for a moment, undid his pants and discarded them. "I want to fuck your pretty mouth." He straddled my neck, his huge dick hanging in front of my face. I took a few deep breaths before taking him in my mouth nearly halfway. But he pulled out quickly and slapped me with it. I was confused; what did I do wrong? "You will only do what I say." He explained, slapping me with his dick again. I blushed deeply and nodded, seriously turned on by his dominance.

"Very well, then." Ace grinned. "Open your mouth." I obeyed. He took his cock and began pushing it between my lips up to the head. He stopped for a second to make sure I wasn't going to move. Once satisfied, he moved in deeper and deeper, even past the point where I was going to stop. I choked and moaned, not used to having it so far down my throat. "I'm impressed." Ace said, smiling at my struggle. "Now suck."

I wasted no time and began my work, tightening my lips and using my tongue. It was hard because in this position I can't use my hands or lean back far enough to get a decent amount of air into my lungs. "Uh, yes… good boy." Ace was already enjoying himself. I took it up a notch and moaned deeply, the vibrations surging through Ace. "Good… uhhhh… little boy…" He started to thrust in and out of my mouth roughly. Tears came to my eyes as I continued to choke.

"Mmm… mmngh…" I moaned again. Ace apparently couldn't take anymore, but instead of coming, he removed himself from my throat and climbed off of me. "Ah…" I tried gasping for air, but Ace immediately picked up where he left off and began devouring me again, now puncturing my sides and inner thighs with his sharp teeth. "Ah! Hah…" I really am a masochist. Instead of feeling nothing but pain, I felt both pain and pleasure from this kind of treatment.

"You're hard just by me biting you and fucking your mouth?" He looked at my erection with a smirk. "I don't want you to come yet. I know…" He took off his black tie and tied it tightly around my length in a knot.

"Huh?" I wondered what he was doing.

"This will keep you from coming too soon." Ace explained. "I should get you a cock ring." He smiled. "Let's see how this works for now." He ran his slender fingers up my erection.

"Nngh!" I groaned, trying hard not to push my hips up to beg for more. This felt really different; I could still feel him touching me, but it was a numbing feeling. It still felt really good. Ace used his sharp nails, leaving welts. "AH!" He used his nail to carefully make a cut in my skin. "AAAH!" I wanted to come, but the tie prevented it from happening. "A-Ace… Dark Ace!" I called his notorious nickname.

"Yes, tell me what you want, and maybe I'll give it to you." He said as he continued to rub me, wiping the blood around. I thought about this; if I asked to come, he probably wouldn't let me.

"Please… enter me…" I said shyly.

"Very well." He smirked. "Spread your legs." I did what I was told. He got comfortable in between my legs and slid his cock inside me halfway.

"YAH! Oh God…" I cried out. I jumped in surprise when Ace slapped me across the face. "Ah…?"

"Don't call to God, call to me!" He ordered, slapping my ass next.

"Ugh! Yes… master!" I said.

"Louder!" He yelled, hitting my ass in the same spot, most definitely leaving a red mark.

"MASTER!" I screamed, wanting him to thrust deeper inside.

"Good boy." Ace's normal tone returned and thrust in the rest of the way, filling up to the hilt, his hands holding on to my inner thighs.

"AAH!" Hot tears streamed down my face. "Master, please fuck me!"

"As you wish, Aerrow." He began to move in and out of me roughly but quickly. This position was perfect; he was able to go all the way in with every thrust, no inches left exposed. "Uh oh, your ass is bleeding." He looked down. I tried to look too, seeing streaks of blood on Ace's penis.

"Ah… it's okay, don't stop." I choked out.

"I wasn't going to." Ace replied evilly, moving faster and faster. He found that spot inside me, and I arched my back and cried his name. "I found it." He grunted, slapping my ass again. "Tell me again who your master is!"

"Ah! You are… Dark Ace…" I was having a hard time talking. I was getting closer to climaxing, but I couldn't do it with the tie on. "Master, please… let me come."

"Of course, my corrupted angel." He purred, roughly pulling the tie off without untying it first.

"DARK ACE!" I screamed, releasing all over myself. Ace came inside me, the excess fluid dripping out of my entrance. "Haahhh…" He pulled out and collapsed on the bed next to me, the two of us breathing heavily. "Ace, that was wonderful." I said, a blush creeping up on my face.

"Indeed it was, Aerrow." Ace sat up so he could untie my hands.

"So, what now?" I asked, rubbing my wrists.

"Hm…" Ace thought for a moment, then leaned down and kissed me. "Let's just sleep for now. Leave everything to me." I was confused as to why he said that, but I agreed with the sleeping part.

"Alright." I cuddled next to him. "I love you, Ace."

"And I love you." Ace whispered, stroking my stomach with his hand. I smiled as I drifted off to sleep, hoping that those nightmares wouldn't return.

^V^

GAH FINALLY DONE THIS CHAPTER! Hey, who was at Otakon this weekend? I bought a yaoi game there and I was playing it, and it gave me inspiration to write the violent sex! Yay! Read and review, please!

Taru-chan


	27. Bonus 7: Awakening

The Blood Nexus

Bonus Chapter: Awakening

^V^

Hey guys, there's weird violence in this chapter. Sorry, I've been watching the _Saw_ movies and thought I'd give that shit a try. I'm really twisted…

^V^

_Aerrow… Aerrow!_

"Wha?" I woke up startled, thinking I heard someone call for me. "Ace, is something wrong?" I asked in the dark. No one answered. "Ace, where are you?" I asked again, feeling around next to me on the bed. Empty. I stood and went for the light switch, turning it on. I looked around, but Ace wasn't in the room. "What's going on?" I got really worried. Where was he?

_Leave everything to me._ I remember him saying.

"No…" A sudden pain struck my heart. Please, please don't tell me he went and tried to take Kastor by himself! If it was just Kastor, then I was sure Ace could handle it, but this place is full of vampires; there's no way Ace could do anything! I threw my robe on and ran out into the hall, not even thinking about what could happen to me. All I could think about was Ace. "Ace! ACE!" My scream echoed down the halls. I stumbled around, finding it too hard to see in this darkness. Ace told me that vampires have good night vision, but I guess I'm different in that way, too. "Ace!"

_Aerrow!_

"Ace?" I followed the voice down the hall. I came to the end, not knowing which way to go next.

_Aerrow!_

"The left…" I ran down the left side of the hall, coming to a door. I opened it carefully and took a few steps, tripping and almost falling. "Stairs?"

_Aerrow!_

"Ace? Ace, I'm coming!" I ran down the stairs, hearing his voice get closer. After a few long minutes I found another set of large doors and threw them open. "Ace!" I looked through the dark space and found Ace in a little spotlight in the back. I hurried over to him and saw he was sitting in a big chair. His eyes were closed; he didn't seem to know I was here. "Ace, what's going on?"

"Aerrow?" He said weakly. His eyes suddenly shot open to look at me. "Aerrow, get out of here! Hurry!"

"What?" I asked, hearing the big doors slam and lock behind me.

"Too late, boys." I heard Kastor say as he appeared from the shadows. The lights in the huge room suddenly turned on, revealing that Ace wasn't just sitting, but his arms and legs were bound and trapped in these weird metal devices, using crystals to power them. Skovia was making finishing touches on the weird device.

"What're you doing to him?" I tried running up to him, but someone grabbed me from behind and put me in a double chicken wing, bringing me down to my knees. I turned my head to see Mr. Parr, as stern as always. I tried to break free, but even as a vampire I wasn't strong enough. "Damnit!"

"I'm afraid your lover tried to sabotage me, Aerrow." Kastor said. "It looks like I'll have to speed up my research."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"We want to see your power, my boy." He said in his slimy voice. "And I will get it out of you the hard way."

"You were going to do that anyway, you bastard!" I snapped.

"What foul language." Kastor smirked.

"What did you do to him?" I asked again.

"You mean this little machine?" Kastor walked up to Ace. "We like to call it the Reverse Electric Chair. It uses Ace's own power against him. So whenever he misbehaves…" He nodded to Skovia, and she pulled a lever. Ace was severely electrocuted in front of me, his screaming making my ears bleed. It was over in a few seconds, but Ace looked very drained from the shock. "The chair prevents him from transforming, as well." He sharpened his gaze. "But YOU will transform, and you will obey me, or the pitiful prince will die a very slow and painful death!"

"What?" I shouted. "But I don't know how! I never did it before!" Kastor looked in my eyes, making sure I was telling the truth.

"Hm, I understand." He said. "That's why we're going to help you do so." I really didn't like the sound of that. Mr. Parr sat down behind me, still holding my arms painfully. Renzo came out from nowhere and pounced at me, pulling my legs out from under me and ripping my robe open.

"Wh-What?" I gasped, beginning to struggle again. "What the hell are you doing – AH?" I felt a blunt object being shoved inside my anus. I looked down, seeing a syringe in Renzo's hand. He pushes the top slowly, releasing a strange gel inside me. "Agh… What's… happening…?" I immediately feel the effects as I start to get hot and feverish.

"AERROW!" Ace struggled to escape the chair, but Skovia pulled the lever again and electrocuted him. "ARGH… FUCK!"

"Ah… Ace…" I moaned as the excess gel came out.

"The aphrodisiac will make you obey us." Kastor sneered, holding back laughter.

"This is gonna be fun, Boss." Renzo spoke in an arrogant voice. He reached out and roughly grabbed my penis.

"AH!" Unfortunately, due to the gel, it felt good, and I craved more. However, I still had enough sense to realize how wrong this was. My body was betraying me. Renzo started to stroke me, and I immediately got hard. "No!"

"Fuck you, Kastor!" Ace shouted in his beastly voice. "When I get out of here, I'm…!" He was shocked once more.

"Ace, stop!" I cried. "I'll be fine… I'm pretending it's you… so please…" When I looked at him, I came all over myself.

"Guess we hafta step it up a notch." Renzo pulled a sword out from behind him and stabbed me through my sides so as not to hurt Mr. Parr behind me.

"GAAAH!" I screamed, coughing up blood.

"You mention that fucker's name again and I'll cut you in half!" Renzo spat out. "You only pay attention to me." He rubbed his gross hands all over my body, but since the serum was still in effect, I was enjoying it. It took my mind off the pain from the sword, at least. "Listen to him. He moans like a virgin!"

"Oooh…" I couldn't help but cry out. I peeked over at Ace, who was trying very hard to control himself. "AGH!" Renzo twisted the blade inside me.

"Look at me, bitch!" The spiky-haired jerk growled at me. I hesitantly obeyed him, catching his lecherous gaze. He smirked and shoved two fingers inside me, violently twisting them around.

"AAH!" My body eagerly accepted those fingers, still wanting more. I started to shake and push myself on his fingers. I hated myself so much for this.

"I don't have to prepare him, Boss." Renzo pulled his fingers out roughly. "I don't think this is working."

"Don't worry, I have other tricks up my sleeve." Kastor grinned, enjoying my pitiful state. "Just keep going."

"I told you, I can't transform!" I said, tears pouring out of my eyes.

"Hey, doesn't matter to me as long as I get off." Renzo undid his pants and pulled them down, showing his disgusting erection.

"No, NO! PLEASE… AAAH!" I screamed when he pushed himself all the way in and immediately started thrusting violently. The aphrodisiac was wearing off a little, so I felt less pleasure and more pain and humiliation. "FUCK YOU!" I swore, suddenly feeling deep-rooted anger swelling up in my body. I grit my fangs and started growling like a dog.

"Aerrow…" Ace sounded scared.

"Yes, it's happening!" Kastor said excitedly.

"I can't…" I clenched my fists and dug my nails into my palm, trying to control myself.

"If you don't…" Kastor said, going up to Ace. "Your master is going to get something much worse than a little shock."

"What?" I turned to face him. Kastor smiled and undid his own pants. "NO!"

"Please, he's done much worse than this." He put his member near his mouth.

"I will bite your dick off!" Ace said.

"That's why I'll go for the mouth without teeth." Kastor reached for Ace's pants.

"STOOOOP!" That was it. I had enough! "No one hurts Ace… no one…" I began to feel like all the anger that I had pent up inside me just come out. My skin started to twitch, and my breathing became ragged.

"Get away from him." Mr. Parr let me go and backed away.

"Wait, I'm coming…" Renzo groaned before releasing inside me. That was all the fuel I needed to push everyone away with a huge gust of wind from my wings.

"Rrgh…" I pulled the sword out of my body and threw it towards Renzo. I grinded my teeth together and held my head in my hands, starting to feel dizzy and hot.

"No, Aerrow! Control it!" I heard Ace call to me, but he sounded far away. My vision blurred and became red, and my growling got louder. I couldn't hold back anymore. I started to transform. My memory of this event was a little blurry after that, but Ace helped me fill in the details. According to him, I looked like a beautiful bird-god with white feathers down my arms, legs, sides, and neatly around my private areas. My face and other exposed skin looked like glittering porcelain. My body size didn't change, but my eyes seemed sharper and my fangs grew larger. I spread my large wings and flew into the air with grace. I let out a roar as a tornado came out of my mouth and spread throughout the room, blowing everyone in different directions.

"Beautiful!" Kastor was completely awestruck. "This will go down in history; I will become famous!" I looked down at him, cocking my head innocently. "Come here, my beauty." He held out his hands to me like I was his pet. Still, I floated down before him, giving him a sweet gaze. "You truly are the greatest vampire of all time! You'll be an idol; your new people will worship you!" He tried buttering me up.

"Boss, he's dangerous!" Skovia warned. "Let's get out of here, quickly!" Kastor didn't seem to hear. He was just too busy staring at me.

"Fuck this, I'm out!" Renzo said, running to the exit. I turned to him and shot a gust of wind at him that was so sharp and quick it cut off his legs. "GAAAH!" I then swiftly locked all the doors with my powers, making sure they could not escape. With these powers, I was much faster than these four idiots combined. I screeched loudly and flew over to Mr. Parr, decapitating him quickly. Skovia screamed and tried running, but my sharp wind caught her, slicing her in half. I went over to Renzo slowly, enjoying his frightened stare. I bent down to gently caress his face and chest. I grinned as I grew out my fingernail, carefully slicing around his filthy cock, removing it from his body. He screamed one more time before I decapitated him, as well.

"Forget those imbeciles, come with me!" Kastor still adored me, not realizing the danger he was in at all. I turned to him and glided across the room to meet him again. "Don't forget where your true anger lies… with your master!" He gestured to Ace, who was still trapped in the chair, looking terrified. "He killed your parents, ruined your life, raped and killed you!" I looked at Ace. "He made you into this beast! Now, prove your awesome power, and murder your maker!" I looked at Ace, then at Kastor, and began to laugh. I understood. I understood his power now.

"_Ha! You think you can manipulate my anger, like you do with your other subjects?"_ I was speaking in Romanian. _"You are sorely mistaken!"_ I flew higher. _"Your power to manipulate anger is far less superior to Cyclonis's!"_

"What?" Kastor's eyes widened. "How… How can you resist?"

"_Like you said, I am the most powerful vampire!"_ I surrounded myself with wind. _"And I'll prove it by murdering you!"_ I dived down hands first, cutting through the bastard with my claws and using my incredible wind power to make him explode into a million bloody pieces. I let out another roar for victory, however, when I turned to Ace and saw him crying, my victory instantly became a failure. "Ace…" I whimpered. I waved my hand and summoned the wind once more to break the chair so Ace could be free. "Ace…" I felt lightheaded and started passing out. Seeing Ace catch me was the last thing I remembered.

^V^

"Ugh… huh?" I woke up staring into a bright light. "Where am I?" I asked out loud, not knowing who was in the room yet.

"You're back in His Highness' castle." Said an unknown voice. "I'm one of the doctors from the lab, Dr. Raptor." I rubbed my eyes so I could see him clearly. I could tell he was a trustworthy guy, stoic, but trustworthy. "You've been out for a couple days, but you'll be fine. If you stay awake for at least an hour, then you can go back to your routine."

"Great, thanks." I said. "Um, where's Ace?"

"He's probably sleeping in his room." The doctor said. "Would you like me to get him?"

"Oh, no thanks." I sighed. "He should rest."

"Alright." He simply said. "Try stretching and sitting up while you wait." He said before leaving the room.

"Okay." I sighed again as I quickly remembered everything that happened. I felt disgusting, like a monster. I was disappointed in myself. Even though those bastards deserved it… no, don't think like that. I covered my face with my hands. What does Ace think of me now? Is this what he felt like after killing all those people years ago? "Ace…" I remembered him holding me in his arms, but I couldn't recall the expression on his face. I hope he isn't scared of me or worse… angry with himself all over again.

"Aerrow!" Ace burst into the room. He didn't look very good, probably from being electrocuted so badly.

"Ace, I thought you were sleeping!"

"I couldn't sleep for days." He said, coming over to me, hugging me tightly. "I was worried sick."

"You were?" I asked.

"Of course, you little fool." He smiled at me. I looked away. "What is it?"

"You were crying." I mumbled. "You hated seeing me like that."

"Aerrow…" He pulled away. "It's true; I didn't like seeing you become a beast like me." He patted my head. "But you saved me, and yourself… and you rid the world of four horrible pests." He sighed. "I'll just have to get used to you being a vampire, that's all. Besides, you were… such a beautiful, angelic beast."

"So, you're not scared of me?"

"Scared? How insulting." He laughed. "You could never scare me. And don't be scared of yourself either." He poked my forehead. "You will be able to control that beast, now."

"Yeah?" I smiled. "Great!"

"I love you, Aerrow." Ace leaned down and kissed me fully. "My beautiful angel."

"I love you too, Ace." I wrapped my arms around him. "I love you so much."

Finally, we can have a happy ending.

Epilogue

It's been three years since that day, now. I just graduated from the Sun and Moon Academy with my friends. Ace decided to finish school too (vampires are required eight years, but they can go longer if they want. Ace just finished his freakin' eleventh!) Piper's parents threw us a big graduation party at their house, and they invited Ace too. It was funny; he was really nervous about meeting them!

Piper has been dating Starling for a while now. I was the only one who wasn't shocked when I heard the news. Still, we're all happy for them and I hope it works out. Finn and Stork are still going strong. Finn was actually talking about marriage, but Stork doesn't really want to, probably because he doesn't like such big commitments like that. Junko got an engineering job on his home terra, but he still visits us a lot. Radarr's living at the castle with me and Ace now. Everyone there loves the little fur ball, but hopefully not so much that they'll want to eat him!

As for me, well… I'd better finish this story up, or I'm going to be late. Late… for my happy ending.

"Aerrow, are you ready? The music's starting!" Piper's calling to me.

"Yeah, I'm coming!" I fix my tie and straighten my jacket in the mirror. I can't wait to see Ace in his tux, watching me as I walk down the aisle.

I can't wait to spend an eternity with the vampire I love.

^V^ END ^V^

Hooray! I'm done! It's all done! I wanted to finish before school started! Phew, now I can relax… not really. Thank you to all my fans for favoriting my story and writing reviews (extra special thanks to my crazy fan mysticalgems). I hope you enjoy my story and my other stories. The saga has ended.

Love deeply, Taru-chan


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